Time Changes Everything and Nothing at All
by AngelOfContemplation
Summary: Sasuke, traitor to Konoha and the one who betrayed Naruto in the worst way possible, returns to Konoha after eleven years seeking redemption from the new Hokage. Completed. WARNING: Mentions of sex, some sexual content. Not too much though.
1. Scare Crow Journeys

Summary: Sasuke, traitor to Konoha and the one who betrayed Naruto in the worst way possible, returns to Konoha after eleven years seeking redemption from the new Hokage. But will the new hokage give him a chance, or will he turn Sasuke away? What will Sasuke's reaction be when he finds out that the sixth hokage is the one and only Naruto Uzumaki?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Don't like, don't read. Rating will change according to content in chapters. There is a hint of a lemon in this one… It will be explained in later chapters because it's all part of the plot.

A/N: This one is dedicated to my kick ass lil sis, who requested a Sasuke/Naruto fan fic, Gricel. I love ya bunches, you rock! and hopefully I do this pairing justice.

**_narutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonaruto_**

It was ironic that he would be thinking of someone else while being pleasured by Gaara. It was hilarious that every time Gaara hit that spot within him, he was reminded of all those times another man had done the same. It was crazy to think that he was calling out the right name, but inside he was whispering another… It was sad that this time had been no different than all the rest. Even as he laid there in Gaara's arms, both men recovering from their love-making, he was remembering the other man.

_Warm breath upon his skin sends shivers up his spine as his lover moves within him, filling him so completely he couldn't be sure where he left off and the other began. He cries out his lover's name in joy and enjoys every blissful moment as they reach completion together. Silky raven hair spills across the snow white pillow case as his lover pulls out and lies beside him on the bed. Dark eyes hold warmth, love, and affection in them as he pulls the blonde close and holds him almost protectively. Laying his head comfortably on his lover's shoulder, the blonde smiles sweetly at the words spoken softly from those faintly smiling lips. "I love you… dobe." _

_His answer comes straight from the heart. "I love you too teme…" _

What they'd shared had only been a lie. A cruel twist of fate that never should've happened. If it was meant to be then why did his love make an attempt on his life? Why would he want to kill him if he'd truly loved and cared for Naruto? It had taken five years after Sasuke had been banished for Naruto to get over it. He had even managed to find a new love with his fellow hokage. Gaara was now the hokage of the sand village and both had decided to give a relationship between them a chance. Surprisingly enough, they'd hit it off and were now celebrating their sixth year together.

Gaara knew that Naruto could never love him as he'd loved Sasuke, but he was happy with the love the blonde shared with him. He had found out that Naruto never did anything half-assed. When you were loved by him, you were given as much of his heart as he could give to you. In return, Gaara loved Naruto the same way. He had a feeling that someday he'd have to give Naruto back to Sasuke, but he wasn't going to make it easy for the Uchiha. Naruto was his now for as long as the fates wished and there was no way he was just going to hand him back to him with a pretty bow tied around him and a grin on his face.. nope, not happening.

Sensing the sad thoughts weighing on Naruto's mind, Gaara pulls him closer and presses a soft kiss to his forehead. "Do not worry so about things that have happened in the past Naruto. Whether you believe it or not, things always happen for a reason. If it was meant to be, it will be again. For now, let us enjoy the time we have together. We are not guaranteed tomorrow…"

Naruto looks up at him with a soft smile and kisses him tenderly. "You are right Gaara… I will not dwell on the past any longer." Snuggling up to Gaara, Naruto lets out a soft sigh and slowly falls asleep, safe in the arms of his current lover, not knowing what tomorrow will bring…

**_sasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasukesasuke_**

Limping through the forest was not the way he had imagined himself returning to the village hidden in the leaves. At least, not in broad daylight where any ninja could see him and attack. His clothes were torn and hung loosely about his skinny frame, making the raven-haired man appear as a scarecrow. He could see it now, Konoha, the only place he would have any hope of finding redemption. He'd heard a few years ago that a new hokage had taken over and turned the village around for the better, giving the people within its walls hope and ensuring peace reigned once more. He could only hope this new hokage would give him another chance at life.

Two ANBU ninja soon take the man to hokage tower, not trusting him, but not seeing a legitimate reason as to why he could not have the audience he requested of their leader. They soon arrive and a voice that is familiar to Sasuke allows the three men entrance into the hokage's office. The ANBU lead him in and one of them speaks to the Hokage, who Sasuke can't really see from under that hokage hat. "Hokage-sama, we found this man walking towards our village. When asked for an identity, he merely requested an audience with you. Shall we leave you or do you wish us to stay and keep an eye on him?"

Sharp blue eyes look up and assess the man between them. Those normally warm, friendly eyes harden in an almost defensive way when he recognizes the features of the man. "You two may leave us, but stand outside of the door. I will call for you when I need you." Both ninja bow their heads in respect and leave, closing the door behind them. Sasuke watches the man before him, wondering why those eyes seem so familiar and why it hurts to see the coldness in them.

Watching Sasuke squirm under his gaze would normally have given Naruto a deep satisfaction, but now only makes him feel disgusted at himself. Taking the hat off, he lightly lays it on his desk and looks up into shocked obsidian eyes. "You are lucky they lead you here, normally they get rid of any possible threat… What is it you wish to speak with me about Sasuke?" The one word that falls from those full lips shocks Naruto though he doesn't show it.

"Redemption."

"Why Sasuke? Why did you come here for that?" Those black eyes he loves so much fill with a deep, aching pain that makes him want to cry out in anguish. How much his teme had suffered over the years!

"This village and its people are the ones I have wronged the most Naruto… I even tried to kill the one I love for power… the power to kill Itachi... the power to get my revenge on him for the massacre of our family." Sasuke's eyes are teary, but none fall as if the tears are as stubborn as the one they reside in. "I don't expect you to forgive me, o-or even allow me another chance. That's all I want Naruto… That's all I need… Just one more chance… A chance to start over… I can't live like this anymore- please consider it." Close to tears himself, Naruto closes his eyes for a moment before opening them halfway. His expression is deep, thoughtful, and is one that gives Sasuke hope.

"Sasuke Uchiha… I have considered your request and… You will have your chance, but I warn you that you will not only have to prove yourself to me, but to every last person who lives here as well. Tomorrow you will be Iruka's shadow. You will learn from him and be his student once more. Take his lessons to heart and listen well because he will be the one who awards you with a new headband. I am sorry it has to be this way, but I have to give you a way to prove yourself that everyone will notice. Otherwise they would try to do you harm for past offenses. No matter what they do or say, I want you to look to the future. Don't beat yourself up over the past or it will haunt you more than it already does. After Iruka awards you your headband, you will train under Kakashi until he declares you ready... You will have to earn your position in the ranks like everyone else. Is any of that unfair for you?"

Looking into those deep cerulean eyes he'd always loved, Sasuke answers softly. "No, None of that is unfair... Thank you… Naruto… do you hate me? I could never forgive myself if…"

With a light smile, Naruto stops him. "Stupid teme, I could never hate you. I forgave you a long time ago. I've always wondered why you did it, but now that I know the reason for it, I am at peace with what happened. Sure, it wasn't the best experience in the world, but what is done is done and we can't go back and change it now. All we can do is place one foot in front of the other and keep going one step at a time."

Sasuke seems almost amused. "No matter how smart your words are… you're still a dobe."

Naruto snorts softly and allows his expression to show his amusement. "And no matter what favor you ask… you're still a teme."

"I'm still your teme dobe, remember that. Now where do I stay?"

Pushing away the hurt and panic Sasuke's comment caused, Naruto writes a few things on a scroll and gets out a small money pouch, full of coins. "You will live in your family home. It has been kept up through the years. All of your things are still there, but for this first week back in Konoha, Shikamaru and Ino will stay with you as your escort and protection. Before you protest to that, you will need protection. They are the best ANBU in this village, and until everything has settled down, you'd better get use to them being your shadows. Don't give them any trouble, and they will be fair and won't come complaining to me that you're being an insufferable ass. This scroll will smooth things over with the shop owners as will the presence of your bodyguards. The money in this pouch is the same amount that was left behind when you left. I got it before anyone could raid the place... I'm the only reason you still have anything. And if you thank me right now, I'll kill you."

"Wouldn't dream of it Naruto. I will thank you for this chance you have given me. You won't regret it."

"Shikamaru, Ino, you can come back in here now." The ANBU who found Sasuke return, sans masks, and Sasuke sees that they are indeed the lazy genius and his girlfriend. Spying the rings on their left hands, Sasuke smiles slightly and amends his girlfriend thought to wife. "Shikamaru, you and Ino are to be Sasuke's bodyguards for a full week. He is to be taken to Iruka everyday after regular classes are finished. The parents would riot if they thought he was going to school with their children… I will speak to Iruka personally and tell him everything he needs to know about this situation. I have decided to give the Uchiha a chance to redeem himself. If he fails, he will be cast out of this village once more."

Shikamaru looks at Naruto with a new kind of respect for not giving Sasuke any slack. Not many would be strong enough to cast a loved one out after one failure. "Troublesome Naruto, but we will do as you wish. Are you sure you can cast Sasuke out if he fails your test? You still love him. Will you be able to do that?"

Naruto's expressive eyes flicker with hurt for a moment. "Even if it kills me Shikamaru, I will keep my word. That's my ninja way… If Sasuke fails, he will be cast out. So make sure he doesn't fail."

With a small smirk, Shikamaru bows his head in respect. "Hai Hokage-sama. Ino, Sasuke, let's go. Our hokage has important work to do."

After taking the scroll and money pouch, Sasuke is led to the old Uchiha manor where he finds out that not only has the place been kept up, but there are new clothes in his closet. His old clothes are packed away in a chest, along with eleven years worth of newer wardrobes as if someone expected him to return someday. Alone for the moment, the last Uchiha gently fingers the new garments and allows himself to shed the tears that have been locked inside for far too long.

**_nsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsns_**

A/N: Alright, this is only the first chapter and I hope I did the pairing justice so far. The only yaoi-themed thing I've written before this was my one shot, so tell me what you think whether you like it or don't. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it. And to point something out, Naruto would rather have Sasuke cast out of the village than have to sentence him to death.


	2. Everything To Me

Disclaimer: I **DO NOT OWN** Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Don't like, don't read. Rating will change according to content in chapters.

A/N: To everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited, and took time from their busy day to read this… I thank you all and appreciate the support. I'm glad and flattered that you like the story so far. This be the second chapter dubbed 'everything to me' since I think that name suits it and I'll just shush now so you can read.

**_narutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonaruto_**

Slight recap: _After taking the scroll and money pouch, Sasuke is led to the old Uchiha manor where he finds out that not only has the place been kept up, but there are new clothes in his closet. His old clothes are packed away in a chest, along with eleven years worth of newer wardrobes as if someone expected him to return someday. Alone for the moment, the last Uchiha gently fingers the new garments and allows himself to shed the tears that have been locked inside for far too long._

_**storystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystory**_

With a long, tired sigh, Naruto flops back in the middle of his bed, arms randomly sprawled out, and his eyes fixed on a nonexistent oddity on the ceiling. It was hard as hell to see him again. It was hard to see Sasuke now and even harder to see that he couldn't be looking more like a whipped puppy if he'd been kicked. What had happened to the cocky, arrogant smart ass his teme had once been? All these years they'd been apart, what could've happened that was so terrible that it had severely injured his spirit? While Naruto had been undergoing intense training with Iruka, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, had Sasuke been going through hell on earth? It was heartbreaking to think his teme had gone through any kind of pain, but if the haunted eyes filled with a deep, almost tragic pain was any indication….

Tears threaten to spill from those brilliant blue orbs as he lets out a shaky sigh and whispers softly. "Why is it that every damn time I try to turn my back on you… every time I try to get over you or hate you… I end up only loving you even more than I did back then?" The voice cracks as Naruto continues speaking to himself out loud, not knowing yet that he has an audience. "How can I hate you Sasuke? Give me—give me a good reason to hate you so I can turn my back on you for good… Maybe then, I won't keep kidding myself, thinking that you really came back for me as I always thought you would. It's the one thing I've waited for for so long now and I can't do it. I love you so damn much, but I love Gaara too and I can't just toss him aside. He doesn't deserve that. After what we've been through together and the love we share, I can't hurt him without hating myself for it. Gah! Why can't life make it simple on me and make them one person!? Why do I always get kicked around? Why must I always be the one that gets this stuff thrown at me it's not fair!!" Letting out a soft growl of annoyance the young hokage glares up at the ceiling. "We three have been jerked around our whole lives, having nobody who really understood us or what we were going through and now this… now I have to choose… that hardly seems fair… Why is life so picky and weird?"

A cool, calm, gravelly voice speaks up from the open doorway that a certain red head is standing in. "Because it feels like picking on us all, that's why. I will be leaving tomorrow morning before dawn Naruto. I have duties of my own to perform. Take care of Uchiha, help him get well and get to know this person he is now and why he's so different. I know you still love him. You always have loved him and you always will. I know that you love me as well. If it is Sasuke that makes you happiest then I will let you go. If I make you happiest, then I will keep you. If both of us make you happy and neither makes you happier than the other does, then maybe we can share. Think about it Naruto and when it is time, bring it up in a conversation with the Uchiha. He may be open to the idea… you never know." Smirking at the gaping blonde Gaara pounces capturing those tempting, pouty lips in a heated kiss that stirs up desire in both of them, and making sure that his ray of sun won't be thinking about anything until morning.

**morningsunshinemorningsunshinemorningsunshinemorningsunshinemorningsunshine**

Naruto wakes up slowly to a parting kiss from his lover and smiles sweetly. "Safe trip Gaara. Come back when you feel the time is right. I will keep in touch."

A small, but soft smile graces Gaara's lips as he gives the man a surprisingly tender kiss. "Until I return, stay safe, eat well, and take care of Sasuke as you yearn to. Do not deny your feelings for too long. They will help your decision, not hinder it."

With a soft yawn, Naruto nods and smiles slightly. "Sure thing." Ruffling his hair lightly, Gaara disappears in a light stirring of sand just as someone knocks on Naruto's front door. He gets up with a sigh and a grumpy grumble, pulls on some clean boxers and a pair of pajama pants, and runs a hand through his unruly bed head hair as he goes to answer the door.

Stifling a yawn, he opens the door and stares blurrily at the men standing before him. "Oh, hai, I remember now, Iruka, Kakashi, please come in and make yourselves at home." He steps aside and lets both men into the house before closing the door securely behind them. Naruto watches calmly as they sit on the loveseat in his main room and soon sits across from them in his favorite easy chair. Turns more serious, shaking off the sleepiness and looking at them with a deep, serious expression that has an almost grim look to it. "Sasuke is back."

Iruka's eyes widen slightly at those calmly stated words. "Why is he here of all places Naruto? What does he want?"

Naruto levels calm blue eyes on his old Sensei. "In a word… redemption. He came to me last night, not knowing at first that I had become hokage, and practically begged to be forgiven and given a second chance to right his wrongs. As of yet, I have no reason to doubt his sincerity. As a test, he is to be taught by you Iruka. He must relearn what it takes to be a ninja of the hidden leaf village and how to honor and cherish his place in this village. He will have no forehead protector until you deem him ready and worthy of it. After Sasuke has passed that first part of the test, he must be taught by you Kakashi. It will be up to him to pass whatever test comes his way, but it will be up to you guys to judge him based on what he does today and tomorrow instead of what he did years ago. When he is ready by your standards Kakashi, then he will start going on official missions depending on the level you advise me to put him in first. He will have to move up in the ranks on his own skill and determination. If he fails, he will be banished once again."

Kakashi nods a little. "Then you have chosen well Naruto. We are the only ones other than your closest friends who will judge him fairly and give him the chance he needs to prove himself."

Naruto smiles, "I was sure that the two of you would be a good choice. He has to be taught after school hours Iruka or the parents will riot. In their eyes, it is bad enough that the traitor is alive and in this village, but if he's found going to school with their young ones, all hell will break loose. So be prepared for the long days you will be having for a while. Kakashi, when he is passed on to you, you will train him at your discretion, but not around the team you are currently training unless you feel like fighting their parents for me because I will tell them it is out of my hands how you choose to train your team."

Kakashi rolls his visible eye and snorts softly. "So glad you would turn me over to them Hokage sama."

Naruto grins slyly, "Hey, I am warning you now so we can keep things as peaceful as possible around here. Annoying voices screaming their heads off at me tick me off and give me a headache."

Iruka smiles at them. "Sasuke will be taught everything he needs to know Naruto, angry parents will just have to deal with us if they don't like the way we teach. If that is all, I would like to get to my class now."

Smiling, Naruto nods, "That's all Iruka. You and Kakashi may go now." A knock is heard at the door and Naruto sighs softly. "That's either Sakura or Sasuke…" The three stand and move to the door together. Naruto opens the door and bids farewell to Iruka and Kakashi before he's left alone with none other than Sakura herself.

Sakura eyes the blonde appreciatively for a moment before clearing her throat and getting down to business. "Sasuke was brought to me last night. Ino said that they were talking about all that had happened and gone on around here in the past eleven years and he just collapsed when he heard about you and Gaara. He's awake now and back in his own bed, but he wishes to speak with you. I don't think you should go Naruto. You have Gaara now, why worry about Sasuke?"

"I worry because I will always love Sasuke Sakura. Thank you for telling me this, if you're going back there tell him I'm on my way." Without another word, he closes the door and heads off for the shower.

Sakura sighs, shakes her head, and mutters to herself. "Naruto… you can be such a fool sometimes. If you weren't gay, I'd be after you myself, and so would half the females in Konoha but we know it's no use."

_**Why do I still want you? Why do I still need you? Why do I still long for your touch? Why do I miss you so much?**_

Sasuke glares at the nearest wall as he has no choice but to obey the ANBU and stay in bed, but at least they compromised and propped him up into sitting position with pillows. Who knew he'd had so many pillows in his old home? He reminded himself of some wacky cloud god or something. It was ridiculous. And this business with Naruto and Gaara… well, he couldn't really blame the dobe for trying to move on with his life, but was it easy for Naruto to forget everything they'd been to each other? Was it easy for his dobe to forget how it felt between them when the passion grew almost tender as they trembled in each other's arms and vowed to love one another forever no matter what? If he did not love him still then why would Naruto give him a second chance, tarnishing his new image in the eyes of the villagers? In a way, Sasuke was relieved that there were those who still cared about him, but they didn't matter half as much as Naruto did. If he was happy with Gaara Sasuke had no right to just wedge himself between them. Maybe he could even come to love Gaara too if…. But no, Naruto would never go for that kind of thing would he? All Sasuke could hope now was that Sakura had come through for him and told Naruto of his wish to see him.

Black eyes widen slightly in silent horror. What if he had to go the rest of his life without touching that silky sun kissed hair? What if he had to go forever without caressing that amazingly smooth, baby soft skin? Could he love Naruto from a distance while his heart breaks from seeing him with Gaara? The pain of watching all those loving looks, all those special smiles, all that infectious laughter, and all that warmth, tenderness, and passion given only to the redhead? It was impossible and highly doubtful he could live like that, but if that's what it took for Naruto to be truly happy, he'd give up everything he had left to give… A soft sound at his doorway shakes him from his reverie. Looking over at it, he sees Naruto, and smiles.

Naruto eyes Sasuke in a confused manner. The last time he checked, an ex who was still in love with you and knew you were still in love with them only to find out you had a new love should not be smiling at you after they practically demanded your presence. It just wasn't done… unless of course Sasuke had finally lost it. With a soft smile, Naruto walks over to Sasuke's bed and sits on the edge, making sure he faces him. "What is it you wish to speak with me about Sasuke teme?"

Sasuke's voice is soft, but strong. "I want to talk about you and Gaara and any chance I may have to be with you again. If it's possible for us to be together Naruto, I don't care how it happens, just that it does. If it takes learning to love Gaara and getting to know him, then so be it."

For a moment, Naruto can only stare at him, speechless. "Gaara said that the choice was mine to make. If I love you the most, he will leave me to be with you. If I love him the most, he will keep me for himself. If I love both of you the same way, he will accept you and we can share. It wouldn't be easy, but it would work out somehow. I… am considering the last option because I love you and I always will, but I love him too. Since Gaara has his own duties as hokage of the sand village, he is gone for the month. He gave me the freedom to get to know you as you are, find the answers I need, and have the time to make my decision, which I know he will abide by. He knows Sas; he has always known that a part of my heart will always belong only to you. That's why he is even considering this. Now though, there is a part of my heart that will always only belong to him and I must be the one who figures out what to do with that. Neither of us was sure how you would take the sharing idea."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and snorts softly, but smiles fondly at the blonde. "You really are a dobe Naruto. I would rather share you with Gaara than live without you for the rest of my life. I came back for you baka. I will prove myself to everyone here, but it's your opinion of me that matters the most… it always did. What ever decision you make, I too will abide by it. It won't be as hard as you think if you choose both of us. While Gaara's away attending to his duties, we will have time together alone. The same applies for the times I will be gone on missions. We will have to work something out when the three of us are together, but… Naruto If you choose both of us, can you get Gaara to stay here alone with me for a week? Maybe if we spend time together getting to know one another before we really get into that type of relationship, it will be easier on us. What do you think?"

Naruto smiles brightly, happily at him. "I think that's a really good idea. You're right that it would help the two of you ease into the relationship better, and if you two become more intimate during that week it would be less awkward when the three of us are together like that for the first time. But first, I'm going to get you healthy again. You need to be fattened up a bit mister scarecrow wannabe."

Sasuke snorts. "You're still as mature as ever I see." A curious light comes to his eyes though and he looks at Naruto more intently. "What does Gaara call you dobe?"

Naruto blinks at the sudden change of topic. "His ray of sunlight… he says that the love I share with him so openly cuts through the darkness inside like a ray of sunlight from the heavens. It kind of reminds me of that one time you called me your angel because you said that I was the light to your darkness and one cannot survive without the other because within darkness there is light and within light there is darkness…"

Sasuke's voice becomes nothing more than a soft, shocked whisper. "Y-you still remember that?"

Naruto just gives him a soft duh look and smiles almost knowingly as if he knows the thoughts that flit through his teme's mind. It seems to Sasuke that very often, Naruto knows more than he thinks. He knows the dobe has a sharp intellect hidden behind that careless grin. Maybe the dobe isn't such a dobe after all…

_**These silent whispers in my head remind me of all the things we'd been when the world was new **_

_**Time stood still and the world revolved around us and love we shared before it snatched everything away**_

A/N: Sorry this one's so long, it was hard to find a stopping place. There's over 2,700 words in the main story part… a little more than 3,160 words in all so yeah… longest thing I've ever written in a couple of years. '' Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and If you noticed that I gave a few things away about the general plot in this one, that was supposed to happen. There's trouble ahead for these characters and it won't be pleasant. What happens when a hokage gets abducted? I don't know…. Or do I? smirks oh yeah, twists and turns are definitely coming their way… See ya in chapter three soon!


	3. Happy Again

Disclaimer: I **DO NOT OWN** Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Don't like, don't read. Rating will change according to content in chapters.

A/N: If you'll notice, the sectional breaks in the story itself are little thought line thingies that go along with the story. It's kind of like the character in the first section's thought towards the character in the next section in a way. The one under this and the recap part are not important. All the others after those have a slight importance to them. All my reviewers, readers, and people who show your like of this story, thanks a lot for your support. You guys rock! Anyway, enjoy.

**_narutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonaruto_**

Slight recap: _Naruto just gives him a soft duh look and smiles almost knowingly as if he knows the thoughts that flit through his teme's mind. It seems to Sasuke that very often, Naruto knows more than he thinks. He knows the dobe has a sharp intellect hidden behind that careless grin. Maybe the dobe isn't such a dobe after all…_

_**storystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystory**_

Gaara sits in his office calmly, catching up on a few things. His mind is focused until Kankuro walks in and sits across from him. "Hey Gaara, how's lover boy doing?"

Gaara looks up at him with a slightly grim look on his face. "For now, Naruto is doing well."

Kankuro raises a brow curiously. "For now? Okay, what's going on with him?"

"Sasuke has returned seeking redemption and forgiveness for his mistakes in the past. I told Naruto to use the month we are apart to decide one of three things. He can choose Sasuke, me, or both of us. What ever he decides, I will abide by it."

"You would share him with Uchiha?"

"I would rather share him than not be a part of his life at all other than our hokage duties. If he chooses both of us, at least I will feel better leaving him there because the Uchiha would be there to make sure Naruto doesn't forget to eat and knows how to take a break from work. He still has trouble with that and it worries me. "

"Okay, I get that much, but what makes you think Uchiha would be as demanding about those things as you are?"

Gaara smirks. "I know he would not be as demanding Kankuro. He wouldn't have to be. Sasuke has his ways of making Naruto do what he asks of him. In fact, he wouldn't have to fight Naruto about it as much as I do, once would be enough and Naruto would eat or take a break whenever Sasuke suggests it. Before the betrayal, I saw how they were together and how Naruto adored him and listened to him more than anyone else. Even now, Naruto listens. Sasuke came to him seeking redemption and a second chance at life and Naruto gave it to him. If Naruto's teme wishes to speak to him, he will get to him as fast as he possibly can. That is how it has always been for them. That's why if Naruto chooses to be only with Sasuke, I will walk away without a fight."

"What about your feelings Gaara? What happens to the relationship you and Naruto have had for six years?"

"I will cherish what time we had together because I finally know what real love is. Those two were together from the ages of ten to fourteen. In four years, they had a stronger bond than the one Naruto and I have gained in six years. They fought, they picked on each other, but they loved more deeply than any couple I've ever seen before. Naruto somehow knew beyond all reason or logic that Sasuke would come back to him so he would personally go to the Uchiha mansion, pack up the old linens and pillows and clothes and replace everything with something new so the house would be ready for Sasuke to live in again. He replaced Sasuke's wardrobe with one in a bigger size every year and made sure that the place was aired out twice a month. He saved everything that was important to Sasuke before anyone had the chance to steal it. He even polished every little bit of metal and kept the weapons sharp and in good working order whenever he had tha chance to. Even after what Sasuke had done to him, he willingly gave up time and what little money he had to do that for him. If that's not love and devotion, I don't know what is."

Kankuro snorts softly. "Come on Gaara, Naruto would do that for anyone he cared about."

Gaara glares lightly at him. "Bullshit Kankuro. Nobody in their right minds would do all he did for everyone they care about unless they loved that person above all else. Even I know that and I grew up with less love in my life than Naruto did."

"I see your point. Wouldn't it hurt you though?"

"It would break my heart, but Kankuro I think it will work out for the best in the end. That's why I am not afraid to give him a choice. If I was selfish about it, he would only hate me and I wouldn't forgive myself for that."

Kankuro lets out a long, slow sigh and grins at Gaara. "Just don't lose yourself in this mess Gaara. I hope everything works out for you. I'm out of here before Temari has my head for being late to dinner." Gaara waves him off carelessly and goes back to his work, not as focused as before.

**_My heart cries out for you, yearns for you, and begs you to remember me when you think you should always only be with him… _**

Naruto was officially tired of people. He had managed to get to his office from Sasuke's house two hours late, had gotten yelled at for being late by his assistant who wouldn't shut up about how imperative it was for a hokage to always be on time, and to top it all off every adult in the village that wasn't a ninja came to tell him how wrong he was for unleashing a menace in their quiet little village. Sasuke of all people, a menace to a **QUIET **Konoha that had spent over half the day **YELLING** at him? That was highly doubtful and unreasonable to boot. If it wasn't for the fact that he is the hokage of said village, Naruto would've screamed and pulled his hair out in frustration. To top it all off, he had skipped out on both breakfast and lunch thanks to the sweet, loving, oh so caring villagers and that highly annoying stick-up-her-ass-at-all-times assistant of his. He had kept it calm, he'd never lost his cool during all of that, but one more word out of any them and he would snap. The only people he was not upset with are the ninja, the teachers, his friends, and Sasuke. Everybody else, he was annoyed with and beyond pissed at.

Niri, his assistant, comes in with ten villagers and three ninja, looking all high and mighty and snooty as heck. Naruto's eyebrow twitches at her snotty tone and he finally snaps when she chastises him in front of everyone in that room. "Hokage-sama, You shouldn't have let Sasuke stay, who knows what he will do to this village if given the opportunity. And furthermore…"

Naruto's fists slam down on his desk, making the piece of furniture bounce, and his eyes burn with anger. "IF YOU SO MUCH AS DARE CHATISE ME IN FRONT OF ANYBODY EVER AGAIN I WILL BANISH YOU FROM THIS VILLAGE BECAUSE IT'S SNOTTY ASS SPOILED BRATS LIKE YOU WHO ARE THE MENACE TO THIS VILLAGE, NOT MEN WHO HAVE LIVED THROUGH HELL AND ONLY WANT JUST ONE MORE CHANCE AT LIFE! IN CASE YOU PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTEN, **I** AM HOKAGE AND **I** MAKE THE DECISIONS AROUND HERE AND** YOU **TRUST THOSE DECISIONS **WITHOUT** QUESTIONING **MY** AUTHORITY TO MAKE THEM!! FURTHERMORE NIRI, **YOU** CAN FIND YOURSELF A NEW JOB BECAUSE AS OF THIS MOMENT, **YOU'RE FIRED!!!** SO YOU CAN GET OUT OF MY SIGHT NOW AND IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO YELL AT ME, QUESTION MY DECISIONS OR THE WISDOM OF MY DECISIONS **ONE MORE TIME TODAY,** I WILL BANISH ALL OF YOU SO ONLY NINJA, CHILDREN, AND TEACHERS ARE LEFT IN THIS VILLAGE!! NOW GET OUT AND LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE UNLESS IT'S ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I SHOULD DO ABOUT SASUKE!! **OUT OUT OUT!!**" Everybody but the ninja scatter and run from the room. When angered, their hokage definitely did not bluff or joke around.

Naruto takes deep, calming breaths and gives the ninja a slight smile, much calmer now. "I am sorry you had to hear that. You're here for your mission aren't you?"

A young male ninja nods slightly, "Hai hokage-sama, we are the team you sent for, and don't worry about your outburst. I am sure even a hokage has a right to snap on people who have unwisely questioned him and tried to push him around all day. You have a right to those moments."

Naruto smiles a little more, "Thank you. Here are the mission specs, you three will leave tomorrow, if you feel the need to bring along a jounin you trust, you may, just make it back safely and give me a report the day after you return."

The three bow their heads in respect and chorus, "Hai hokage-sama."

"You may go." Watching them leave, Naruto waits until they have closed the door behind them before plopping down in his chair once more. Naruto groans softly when his stomach growls. "I need ramen…"

"Then go get some dobe. Ichicara's is just down the street."

Not really surprised to find Sasuke's voice a husky whisper beside his right ear, Naruto smiles slightly and turns his head so their lips touch briefly. "Only if you'll come with me teme."

"Only if you're sure I'm worth the trouble."

"You're worth it Sasuke, trust me on that…"

Sasuke's lips brush over his in a light kiss before he softly says, "Fine then Naruto, I will take your word for it. Now get up already, you need lunch and a break as well, this stuff can wait for a couple of hours alright?"

Naruto smiles. "Alright Sas." Sasuke steps back as Naruto stands and they both leave the building walking side-by-side companionably.

_**I've shown them all that they were wrong about me, and now that you're here with me again, I will show them that they are wrong about you too.**_

Once at Ichicara's, they order what they want and talk between bites of food. Surprisingly enough, no one protests to Sasuke's presence. The owners merely smile and pick at them a bit now and then as their other customers stare in awe at the couple. No one has seen Naruto smile that freely in eleven years, so now they all put aside any worries they had about Sasuke and respectfully leave the men to eat in peace. If their hokage needed Sasuke back in his life to laugh and smile as he once did, then they would help the man find his redemption. They had come to an understanding at the chunin exams that they had indeed misjudged Naruto for things he'd never been responsible for and they had come to love him and accept him into their lives. If one person could mend his broken heart, then they would not stand in their way. After all, Naruto was their Hokage. He kept the peace, he kept them safe and well cared for, and he even went so far as to build an orphanage and staff it with the most loving and caring individuals in the entire village. It even had its own hospital wing and a small staff for that as well. The orphans there are taken care of and shown love until they are adopted. He had given so much to the village that had once shunned him so this was the least they could do for the cheerful blonde.

_**A little bit of love goes a long way at the beginning, middle, and end of every day, show them all how much you care and they'll soon return the favor…**_

Sasuke was the first to notice the villagers' behavior, or so he thought. "Um, Naruto… why are they all smiling? Are they planning something evil?"

Naruto chuckles softly and smiles at Sasuke, confusing him even more. "No, they're not planning anything evil Sas. Believe it or not, they have come to care for me and I've given everything I can to this village because I care about the people here. They smile because I haven't laughed or smiled like this since the day you left. They see that you make me happy, so for my sake, they accept you and trust my decision to let you stay. Most of them will not give you the same amount of trouble as they would've before so they can help you find redemption."

Sasuke blinks at him and pokes his shoulder. "Since when did you become so perceptive dobe?"

Naruto gives him a secret smile and his blue eyes sparkle with inner laughter as he teases him a bit. "Since the day you decided to act more like a dobe than me teme."

Sasuke raises a brow and smirks. Naruto wanted to tease? Well, two could play at that game. "And when was that exactly? Before or after I turned you gay?"

Naruto gapes lightly, but is really applauding him inside for the comeback. He smirks and plays along with the game he started. "Before the time I made myself look and sound like you to fool Sakura into thinking you liked her. Technically, I think I turned myself gay with that one because I got jealous when she wanted to kiss you and hang all over you."

"Oh, you're a smart one, making yourself jealous. And that accidental kiss in class that day… wasn't really an accident." As they playfully bicker back and forth, everybody that walks by watches them in bemusement. Things were finally starting to get back to normal after all these years…

**_End of chapter!!!! Chapter four will be typed up soon!!! _**

A/N: This chapter… was fun to write. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. The plotness has been good to me; I have yet to get writer's block on this story. Again, thank you all for your support, you guys rock, you really do.


	4. You Never Know

Disclaimer: I **DO NOT OWN** Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Fluff all over tha place, especially in this chapter. Characters in a state of rabid OOCness at odd times. Don't like, don't read. Rating will change according to content in chapters.

A/N: Sorry this one took so long to get posted but I've been busy 'round here. I know the Valentine's Day chapter was random, but it was kind of a random one shot chapter in the story. This one is the real chapter four. I will probably move it out of this story and make it a one shot story by itself. This one is kind of a filler chapter, so beware of the fluff. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks for all your support!

**_narutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonaruto_**

_Slight recap: Sasuke raises a brow and smirks. Naruto wanted to tease? Well, two could play at that game. "And when was that exactly? Before or after I turned you gay?" _

_Naruto gapes lightly, but is really applauding him inside for the comeback. He smirks and plays along with the game he started. "Before the time I made myself look and sound like you to fool Sakura into thinking you liked her. Technically, I think I turned myself gay with that one because I got jealous when she wanted to kiss you and hang all over you." _

_"Oh, you're a smart one, making yourself jealous. And that accidental kiss in class that day… wasn't really an accident." As they playfully bicker back and forth, everybody that walks by watches them in bemusement. Things were finally starting to get back to normal after all these years…_

_**storystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystorystory**_

After dinner (or supper if you prefer), Sasuke had managed to tease Naruto into going to their special spot. Now, sitting between Sasuke's legs with his back against his chest and his teme's arms wrapped around him, Naruto conceded in his mind that relaxing in the teme's arms was way better than doing more work than he needed to do in one day. Not that he was complaining or anything because he wasn't. He had actually gotten everything done for today and half of tomorrow's things were done as well. He had missions for the genin teams written up and ready to be assigned. He just… rarely took time out for himself these days. His thoughts are interrupted by Sasuke's calm voice. "You're thinking about work again ne dobe?"

"Hai. For all but actually giving the genin teams their assigned missions, I can actually take tomorrow off. And before you say it, Shino and TenTen are taking my place tomorrow. I plan on telling the senseis what missions their teams are on today."

Sasuke rests his chin on Naruto's shoulder and smiles at the thought that he would have a full day to catch up on things and figure out this new version of his dobe. "So… we can spend the day together?"

The blonde smiles sweetly. "Why do you think I did all that extra work teme? We do need some time to ourselves to relearn who we are. The fact is we've changed Sasuke. I don't know you as well as I did, and you don't know me either. I thought maybe tomorrow could be an us day… like the ones we use to have..."

Hearing the hesitance in his dobe's voice, Sasuke holds him close and mentally kicks himself for being so stupid in the past. Before he'd betrayed his lover, Naruto had forced him into their 'us' days more often. Looking back on it now, Naruto was the closest to Sasuke. He knew what was happening and the more distance Sasuke had put between them, the more determined Naruto was to keep them together. It was as if the blonde angel had realized the impact his love had on Sasuke and tried to save him from himself. Now the only person he can blame for his past was himself. He was the one that had ignored Naruto's attempts at helping him, so Sasuke felt more grateful to the blonde for his easy forgiveness and willingness to start a new relationship with him. This time, there would be no turning away from the dobe.

_**The orphan ball of sunshine personified may have lost his blood father at the hands of the jutsu he preformed on Kyuubi, but the kit was lucky enough to have two honorary fathers to look up to in his troubled life… He was happy to know that they were together now…**_

With a languid stretch and soft, but big yawn, a sleepy silver-haired scarecrow hits the snooze button on the alarm clock buzzing by his head. With a soft groan, he turns back to the middle of the bed and snuggles with the chuunin still sleeping peacefully by his side. He knew that his lover wouldn't be happy with him if he made him late today, or didn't bother to wake him, so he nips lightly at a tempting ear. "'Ruka-love, time to get up… you don't want to be a tardy teacher now do you?"

Said brunette merely snuggles closer to his scarecrow and yawns. "No…. don' wan' to be a… hypocrite…"

Chuckling softly, Kakashi nudges Iruka gently and speaks in a cute, tempting tone. "Then get up lazybones. If you do, I'll drag my ass out of bed and cook for yooouu…"

A soft smile passes over those soft, supple lips as Iruka's eyes open slowly to look at him. "You know something Kakashi? You really are cute…"

Kakashi grins fondly at him and teases lightly, "Nah, there's no way I would ever think that was possible in a million years…"

Iruka chuckles softly and flicks his nose gently. "Right and that's why you told Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura that if you took your mask off everybody would fall in love with you. That aside, you make a compelling argument. I'll get ready now, but you owe me breakfast when I get done in here."

Kakashi smiles and Iruka notices once again what a beautiful man Kakashi really is. "Hey, it was my offer. I'll do my part, don't worry." Planting a soft kiss on his lips, Iruka slips out of bed and ruffles his hair a bit as he goes to the closet and gets out his clothes for the day before going to the bathroom. Kakashi turns off the alarm clock when it sounds again and rolls out of bed. After slipping on a random pair of pants over his boxers, he goes to the kitchen and starts cooking breakfast.

Iruka luxuriates in the shower a little as he washes himself. Pervert though he may be, Kakashi had actually proved Iruka wrong in their years together. Once he'd thought that since they'd gotten together, Kakashi would want to jump Iruka every chance he got. He'd said it often enough to the brunette he'd started believing he actually would. Kakashi had been the one to take things slowly. They'd been together for a year before they'd gotten intimate, and somehow it had progressed and things started to slide into place easily when they'd moved in together. Neither remembered exactly how they'd decided on that, but they never complained or gave it a second thought. When Iruka had teased him back about Kakashi slacking off on jumping his bones, the scarecrow had merely grinned, pulled Iruka close and said, 'Sometimes you're just too tired to do anything more than cuddling 'Ruka-love.' It was the first time Kakashi had given him a nickname, and Iruka liked it. As for Kakashi's nickname, well, he'd try it out on him today. Kakashi was surprisingly calm and laid back though he had his moments of hilarity. The man was a born goofball though his wacky, yet sarcastic sense of humor was often as well hidden as the pain his past demons still caused him.

With a sigh, Iruka turns off the water, gets out of the shower, and dries off thoroughly, still deep in thought. He was always late to everything, but most of the time it was for the fact that if anyone had actually gone to look for him, they would have found him at the memorial stone that honored the ones who'd fought and died in the battle against Kyuubi, praying. He may not have been one for religion, but he was an honorable man who held a great respect for his friends, teammates, and sensei who were lost to him now. No, he didn't dwell on the what ifs if he could help it, but putting the past in the past didn't mean forgetting those who gave everything and paid the price to protect. Sometimes, Iruka could be found there, at his side, praying with him, or just being a silent presence only there to support his love.

Thinking of it now Iruka smiles softly, they'd been through so much, both separately and together. They'd loved and lost and made it through. One thing they both had in common was Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, and the affection they harbored for the three young shinobi.

A wonderfully delicious scent wafts through the now open door as Iruka walks out of the bathroom. He'd found out that Kakashi could cook, but only a few things, and to his delight, those few things just so happened to become Iruka's favorite things to eat real fast. Hey, Kakashi had had years of bachelorhood to perfect what he knew how to cook and boy was it delectable… Iruka wasn't one to turn down a well cooked meal, or the pleased expression Kakashi got on his face at the sight of his boyfriend's almost hyper enjoyment of the food. It was like watching a calmer version of Naruto eat, and it was infinitely adorable, or so he was told by Kakashi.

Kakashi finishes setting the table, putting the last glass of orange juice on the table. Each plate was loaded with a fair amount of food and there was silverware and each had a mug of coffee and glass of orange juice. It was that way because Iruka had gotten Kakashi to enjoy coffee while Kakashi had gotten Iruka to enjoy orange juice and since both shinobi never knew which they'd want to drink in the morning; both drinks were placed on the table no matter who cooked. Sometimes they would bicker about who got to wash dishes or clean up around the house, but it always ended up with a make-up make out session, and both men cleaning up together. When they cleaned, Kakashi would sing a random song, and Iruka would laugh at the silliness of it before joining in. Yes, they had their fights as every couple does, but they were few and the silence that ensued never lasted longer than thirty minutes because one of them would be apologizing.

Kakashi smiles at Iruka and pulls him close. Iruka returns his smile and accepts the gentle kiss Kakashi gives him. Kakashi pulls back so that their foreheads and noses are touching. "Have you found me a nickname yet 'Ruka-Love?"

Iruka smiles, "yes, but I'm not sure you'll like it much. It's kind of fluffy."

Kakashi chuckles softly. "I'm sure it's not too bad Iruka. Tell me."

"Alright but you asked for it, remember that…"

"Mhm, I know I'm asking for it. Come on Iruka, what is it?"

"It's Kashi-bear…"

Kakashi blinks at that and chuckles softly. He kisses Iruka sweetly, lovingly before speaking again. "Well, you have always said I was nothing but a big ole teddy bear. I like it."

Iruka's smile widens and his eyes sparkle a little. "Really? You do?"

Kakashi's smile, when it comes, is affectionate, and one of the special smiles only Iruka gets to see. "Yes, I really like it. Let's eat before the food gets cold." They step away from each other and sit in their usual places at the table.

After breakfast, they share a passionate kiss before Iruka leaves and Kakashi gets ready for the day before leaving so he'll be late again in meeting his genin team Naruto assigned him. Yes, they've had their fights, but the life of a ninja is unpredictable and often times short, so neither man dwells on the fight for too long and they easily slip back into the love that makes their relationship so special. Both treasure it and find pleasure in the smallest of moments spent together because they never knew when it would be taken away. What had happened between Naruto and Sasuke so long ago had proven that, and they weren't taking any chances.

**_You never know when your last day will be, so share your love, your life, your heart with me while we can. So when death knocks at my door, I will have nothing to regret other than leaving you so soon, but I am sure to see you again some day..._**

A/N: This one was kind of a filler chapter, so I'm hoping I didn't just bore any of you to tears with this chapter. I'm trying to figure out how to steal a hokage and it's taking me a little while to figure out how I want that to happen, but it's not time for it yet and it'll be a bit hard to write. Anyway, I just wanted to put an Iruka/Kakashi moment in the story, so this was the chapter for that and they will be seen again somewhere down the road. I hope y'all enjoyed it, and I've decided to make the Valentine chapter it's own lil one shot, so don't be surprised when it's taken out of the story.


	5. Thank You for Loving Me

Disclaimer: I **DO NOT OWN** Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh! And the song belongs to Bon Jovi, not me!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Fluff all over tha place, especially in this chapter. Characters in a state of rabid OOCness at odd times. Don't like, don't read. Rating will change according to content in chapters.

A/N: Alrighty, this chapter is a bonus for you guys. It is chapter fie, but since I'm posting it now instead of later, it's your bonus chappy. I made the Valentine's Day Special it's own lil one shot, so check out chapter four because it has been replaced by the real chapter four for this story. Other than that, enjoy the story!

**_narutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonaruto_**

It was Naruto's day off and they'd had fun catching up, going to their favorite places, and just being together again. For Sasuke, it was amazing that the person he'd hurt more than anybody still loved him. It was the best miracle he could've wished for, and yet he was afraid of it. Now, the only thing that could possibly come to stand between them was the decision Naruto had to make. He was anxious and wary because there was a big chance that Naruto would choose Gaara over him. After all, hadn't the sand nin been there for Naruto when Sasuke hadn't? From what Naruto told him of their relationship, Gaara made sure that above all else his Naru-kun was happy and healthy. He'd made it his first priority even as Naruto had done the same for Gaara. Now, as he looks at Naruto laughing at something Shikamaru had said, he can't help but thank him silently for his love.

_It's hard for me to say the things  
I want to say sometimes  
There's no one here but you and me  
And that broken old street light  
Lock the doors  
We'll leave the world outside  
All I've got to give to you  
Are these five words when I_

_Thank you for loving me  
For being my eyes  
When I couldn't see  
For parting my lips  
When I couldn't breathe  
Thank you for loving me  
Thank you for loving me**  
**_

It was better that Sasuke not know his decision. Naruto had thought long and hard about things that had happened in his life with the two people he loved dearly. He had found that both men had their roughness, their bad deeds in the past. No matter what those deeds were though, he'd never condemn them for it. When he'd almost been killed by Sasuke, he'd thought that his life was worthless once again. If his lover didn't even want him anymore, what was he living for? Gaara had come along not long after and had challenged the blonde to a sparring match. When Naruto had shown that he had no reason to live through it, Gaara had chosen then to become his reason. There were feelings new to Gaara that he couldn't figure out yet, but Naruto needed him and he wouldn't fail the blonde. A few months later, they'd found a tentative love with each other and it progressed from there. And then, it was Naruto's turn to be thankful for a love he'd never imagined could exist.

_I never knew I had a dream  
Until that dream was you  
When I look into your eyes  
The sky's a different blue  
Cross my heart  
I wear no disguise  
If I tried, you'd make believe  
That you believed my lies  
_  
_Thank you for loving me  
For being my eyes  
When I couldn't see  
For parting my lips  
When I couldn't breathe  
Thank you for loving me  
Thank you for loving me_

All three of the men were ones that sooner or later, people gave up on. No one expected them to turn into someone great or special, nobody thought they'd be anything more than what they saw them as, and nobody thought they could beat the odds as many times as they have. It's what made the love they did have special and precious to them. It was someone there who would pick you up when you fell, someone who would always catch you before you hit the ground, and if you were unhappy, they were there to make you smile again. It's what Naruto had in both Sasuke and Gaara and it might be selfish, but he didn't want to give any of that up.

_You pick me up when I fall down  
You ring the bell before they count me out  
If I was drowning you would part the sea  
And risk your own life to rescue me_

He knew that both were protective of him. Gaara was the most protective out of the both of them. Sasuke was fierce when anyone tried to kill Naruto true, but Gaara was vicious if they laid a harmful finger on one lil blonde hair on his head. It was almost embarrassing, but at the same time, it gave him a feeling of security because he knew he'd be the same way about them. Heck, he'd literally bitten the first hand of a person that had dared try to steal Sasuke's favorite weapon. His protective nature was a given after that. It was a given even before that when he'd stood between Iruka and the ninja that wanted him dead. When it came to protecting his precious people, Naruto was as vicious as Gaara.

_Lock the doors  
We'll leave the world outside  
All I've got to give to you  
Are these five words when I_

_Thank you for loving me  
For being my eyes  
When I couldn't see  
For parting my lips  
When I couldn't breathe  
Thank you for loving me  
Thank you for loving me_

Now that he'd made his decision, he could tell Sasuke. Word had already been sent to Gaara and he was waiting in the shadows patiently for Naruto to reveal it to Sasuke. Naruto could feel both his gaze and the small smile curving his lips. Naruto walks up to Sasuke and looks up at him as Sasuke's strong arms wrap securely around his waist. Looking at Naruto, Sasuke could feel the anticipation making it hard for him to speak, but he beat it down and shoved it out of the way for one question. "You said you've made up your mind dobe… what is your decision?"

He feels his heart rejoice and start beating normally again at the answer. "I have decided that it wouldn't be the same without either of you. So, as selfish as it may be, I want both you and Gaara to be mine as I will be yours."

_When I couldn't fly  
Oh, you gave me wings  
You parted my lips  
When I couldn't breathe  
Thank you for loving me  
Thank you for loving me  
Thank you for loving me,  
For loving me_

Sasuke smiles and hugs him as their lips meet in a deep kiss. Gaara slips out of the shadows silently and appears at their side. "Hey, I want a kiss too." With a soft laugh, Naruto pulls away from Sasuke and laughs even more at Sasuke's shock when Gaara pulls the Uchiha against him and gives him a deep, passionate kiss. Once the shock subsides, Sasuke wraps his arms around Gaara and kisses him back.

Naruto merely watches with a soft smile and murmurs. "It looks like this may work out alright after all." Gaara soon pulls away from Sasuke, giving him a look that says more will come soon, and kisses Naruto in much the same way as he had Sasuke. Things were good in their little world, but lurking in the shadows was a anger that neither of them knew about. It wouldn't be long before the peace and everything Naruto had secured for the village hidden in the leaves was thrown into chaos again, but for now, everything was peaceful. It was a peace that ignored the danger in the air, and it was a peace that said ignorance is bliss, but it will be their downfall…

_**Three in love with peace to keep while darkness nears when the village sleeps what will happen and will chaos reign?**_

A/N: Sorry the update on this story took so long. If you've noticed, I made the Valentine's Day Chapter a song fic by itself. I thought that it really didn't fit the story, so I replaced that chapter with the real chapter four, so if you haven't read it, you might want to. I had Bon Jovi songs stuck in my head, so I figured I would put one in this chapter. It's called 'Thank You For Loving Me' and I thought it fit those three a little too well not to be fit in somewhere in the story. I hope y'all enjoyed it, lemme know what you think whether good or bad.


	6. Lurking in the Shadows

Disclaimer: I **DO NOT OWN** Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Characters in a state of rabid OOCness at odd times. Don't like, don't read. Rating will change according to content in chapters.

A/N: Important note about this chapter, it's taken me a lil bit of a while for me to get started on it and get the concept for the chapter itself. As all my faithful readers know by now, I've stayed with the main couples so far. I'm going to veer off in a different direction right now. In this chapter, we will be visiting the danger that's lurking in the darkness so to speak. Once a glimpse of the danger has been given, we will go to other characters. So, I hope you guys enjoy this one because whatever my mind says, my fingers will type. And this will probably be the shortest chapter I've typed up for you guys, so sorry bout that.

Key: _flashbacks_

**_narutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonarutonaruto_**

It was almost time to get rid of the Kyuubi forever. No matter what good had been done by the carrier of the beast, he must be eliminated. He is a danger, a disease to the village. It didn't matter how many of the people had grown to love their current Hokage, there were ones who still hated him, the parasite they couldn't be rid of by relying on their own power. The man hidden in the shadows snorts softly. He hated the Kyuubi because it had ruined his life. He was almost killed by it, he was told. That _child_ had almost been the death of him. Sharp blue eyes glint when a sliver of moonlight hits them, and a cruel smile twists the lips so similar to Naruto's. yes, the carrier would perish just as painfully as the Kyuubi within him would and it would be done by his hand, and his alone.

Memories assault the man as he watches the villagers settle down for the night in their nice warm homes, their security laughable though they had no clue danger was about…

_Blue eyes open slowly a low groan is heard from the blonde laying on the futon. He had been in a coma for one full year, taken care of by Akatsuki members. Itachi had been the one that had spirited him away from his grave after the burials were completed and everyone had gone to their respective homes to mourn. He'd dug him up and gathered the barely alive hokage out of his coffin before burying the coffin back in the ground and leaving with the unconscious man. It was no surprise that Arashi had amnesia, but Itachi had gladly 'fixed' that problem by filling his blonde head with lies and by filling the man with hatred towards his own son whom he'd called a hero before his almost death. They trained him patiently until his chakra returned to its full potential and he was once again one of the strongest men alive. He was conditioned to believe that Naruto had ruined his life, and he was going to enjoy killing the boy and his nine-tailed friend inside of him very slowly. It was his duty and he would carry it out without fail. There was nothing of the spirited, good-natured man left in the blonde. No, now he was only a hatred-filled shadow of the great man he use to be… and killing the brat… was going to be **fun**…_

Those full, supple lips twist into a demented smirk as plans unfold in his mind. 'Soon Naruto… I will get my vengeance and you will pay. For now, enjoy the love of your precious people it will be the last time you feel any love before your demise…'

Watching the blonde, the eldest Uchiha smirks darkly, enjoying this manipulation, this power he had over the once great Hokage. How would Kakashi feel once he caught sight of his former sensei? What would Jiraiya think of his former student? How tortured will Naruto be to learn that his own father, the last living relative he has left, is going to be his executioner? Oh yes, this would be great fun to watch unfold… bloodshed, torture, and unbearable heartache… what else could be a more perfect gift from your own father on your birthday? The two ninja phased away as if they'd never been there in the first place, and to the people of Konoha, they never had been…

_**Something is coming to your peaceful village, can you feel it? Can you feel them? Evil is coming, coming your way, can you sense it? Can you sense them? Can you save him before it's too late?**_

It was a gorgeous day and Sakura and Lee had gathered up their long-time friends and made extensive plans with them centered on the surprise party planned for Naruto's twenty-fourth birthday. This was the very first time that the whole village would be in on it, and the very first October tenth where they would not be celebrating the day the Yondaime Hokage had sealed the Kyuubi away, but would be celebrating Naruto for twenty-four years of controlling and eventually taming the fox spirit within him. He would he shown how much of a hero he truly was and for once, the tears in his eyes on this day would be from joy instead of pain and suffering. Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Iruka were sure that had Arashi lived, he would be proud of the man Naruto had become. And, if Arashi wasn't a brainwashed member of Akatsuki right now, they would be right, but life would always have a hidden agenda now would it?

While Lee was giving out ideas for party themes, Neji, Kiba, Ino, and Shikamaru were handling the floral plans for the outdoor party, Hinata, Sakura, and Chouji were actively trying to get Lee to agree with their ideas, and Shino, TenTen, Temari, and Kankuro were working out what food would be served in the buffet. It was to be a huge, yet simple party for the young Hokage. Sasuke and Gaara had been told to give Naruto a distraction and had come up with Gaara asking Naruto to go watch over the sand village or him for a while. Hew would be escorted by two ANBU and would stay until four in the afternoon. By then, the decorations would be set up as well as the buffet table and cake. Everything would be ready. The co-conspirators smile at each other over their papers filled with preparations. This was going to be fun, and Naruto would have a fun, painless birthday filled with nothing but laughter and goodwill… Or so they thought…

**_They sent him off on a wild goose chase of a mission while they started preparing for the upcoming party, thinking to see him again in a few hours... They would soon know how terribly wrong they were…_**

As the village bid a fond farewell to their beloved Hokage with his two protectors, Arashi allowed his lips to curl up into a feral grin. It was time to go hunting for a brat… a brat that harbored the kyuubi, and kill two birds with one stone… That way, both forces that had stolen everything from him would be eradicated…

_**If someone had told him back in the days when he was Yondaime Hokage that he would be his own flesh and blood's executioner, Arashi would have laughed it off, but as we see… this is no laughing matter…**_

A/N: I Hope you guys enjoyed it. As for Arashi being buried alive, his heart had momentarily stopped, so he was declared dead. Well, in this story, that's how it happened, and Itachi was the one that had caused his heart to stop, so therefore, he was the only one who knew that the Hokage was still alive. As for where I came up with that… my brain works at random, so don't ask 'cause I'm not sure I know myself. Thanks for reading and supporting this fic. If not for you guys, it would not have gotten this far.


	7. Message and Worried Beasts

Disclaimer: I **DO NOT OWN** Naruto or any characters associated with it. If I did, I kind of wouldn't have to make fanfics about it. I do own the plot though, so nuh!

Pairings: Sasu/Naru, Iru/Kaka, Gaara/Naru, and Naru/Sasu.

Warnings: Definite yaoi. Characters in a state of rabid OOCness at odd times. Don't like, don't read. Rating moved up to M because of stuff that'll be happenin in the story later on.

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, I have had writer's block from hades, and I kind of have no beta, so there's nobody buggin me to get a move on, so yeah, anybody wanna be my beta and help me out here? If you do, just PM me and we'll figure it out. important notice here, I'm thinking about discontinuing this story because there's not much support for it, and I kind of want to rewrite it. Somewhere along the way, my train of plot got derailed and I took a weird turn with the story that I'm not sure was the best for it. I appreciate the support in the number of readers of this story that have been faithful to it. and to Crimson-Tenshi, Mizuki hikari, Unknown289, badlevel50percent, Demonsil, and the anonymous person who called themselves tyi for reviewing. Mizuki hikari gets a shout out for being the one who reviewed more than once. tyi, whoever you are, thanks for the criticism, I needed that. I'm not really that far in the anime, only to the point of the third's funeral. -shrugs- that's tv for ya. So I'm not going to pretend to even be going along with the story line because I don't know as much about the anime or manga as a few others do. If you guys think that I should try to continue this story, I'll do my best to make it a bit better and I will update more often when I'm not suffering writer's block. BUT if you guys agree that I need to rewrite the story, that's fine too.. either way, I'm probably going to do a version of this story that's way different than this one. Maybe I'll type up that one shot idea that's buggin the heck outta me.. who knows? Sorry for this chapter being short, but I've lost a few plot bunnies and I'm still hunting them down, so bear with me. When I type short.. I mean.. this A/N is prolly gonna be longer than the chapter. Gomen y'all.

_**recaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecaprecap**_

As the village bid a fond farewell to their beloved Hokage with his two protectors, Arashi allowed his lips to curl up into a feral grin. It was time to go hunting for a brat… a brat that harbored the kyuubi, and kill two birds with one stone… That way, both forces that had stolen everything from him would be eradicated…

_**Here's the day darkness decends upon the happy faces of ones who expect peace all around and forgot momentarily about the shadows creeping upon them swiftly…**_

Watching the party preparations going on as if nothing was amiss, gaara feels the beast within him stir uneasily. Something was definately NOT right in the world for Shukaku to be stirring so restlessly within him.

Sasuke looks around the room from his spot over at one of the corners, securing a banner inside of the tent they'd erected for the occasion. Naruto was going to be so shocked to come home to this. Obsidian eyes land on the restless redhead who is currently pacing as if trying to wear a trench in the ground beneath his feet. Raising a dark brow, he wonders about this sudden change in the normally calm young man's attitude. Studying him for a moment longer, Sasuke decides to confront him, but only when he's started growling at people, scaring the others.

Growling in frusturation, Gaara keeps pacing, wanting to know why he has this sudden urge to go after Naruto and bring him back to the village not caring whether or not it will ruin his surprise party. Sasuke's black eyes stop his pacing as they're now face-to-face, something very disconcerting to Gaara who had not realized his guard had been let down. "What?"

Sasuke merely eyes him calmly before answering. "What's wrong Gaara? You were calm a few minutes ago, yet now you're pacing. That doesn't happen without a reason, and it was too easy to sneak up on you, so what's bothering you?"

Knowing the Uchiha was not about to let this one drop until given the wanted information, Gaara softly answers, "Naruto.. I want Naruto back in this village."

"Why? Is he in danger? I doubt that if he is in danger, even this village wouldn't be a safe place for him to be."

"It's better that he be here where we can protect him when there's a fight he can't handle on his own than him being in Suna while both of us are still here decorating. He's safer with us Sasuke and you know it. You feel it too."

Looking into those piercing teal eyes, Sasuke can't help but agree because it was the truth and he'd be a fool to deny it. Hadn't Naruto told him just that morning that there was a dark cloud over the village? At first he'd thought The blonde was speaking of the weather, but the skies are clear and the few clouds that dot the sky are white and fluffy. What then was this dark cloud the dobe had spoken of? Great, now Sasuke was feeling like a dobe himself... with a nod to Gaara, both men set out to find out exactly what's going on.

**_plot bunnies run away, Beta reader would be nice, opinions of the story whether it should continue or be scrapped are needed..._**

A/N: Sorry if it sucked, my brain's still suffering from a lil numbness. I love all of y'all and please lemme know what you think. Should I keep going, or completely rewrite this one?


	8. Memories and Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but me and my plot bunnies do own the plot, so nuh!

Warnings: A lil bit of fluff 'cause I don't like being so serious all the time, upcoming violence, pissed off Gaara and Sasuke… Oh, and I only rated this M to be on the safe side seeing as I'm a just in case kind of person. And this story will forever have boy/boy love and some yaoi as well as pervy stuff here and there. And I love Naruto too much to show the torture he was put through. –sheepish grin- Ask my lil sis Gricel, I can make up some scary torture, but not towards Naruto or InuYasha… Heh.

A/N: I have decided…. to continue this story. There will be times when I stumble through it cause of writer's block and times that it'll be hard to post a chapter because people around here like me running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But I will still post chapters for this fic. As with all who write a fan fic, I do like feedback even if it's one lil two word review to lemme know if the chapter was good or if it just sucked. Since I hate it when others sit there and say well, you've gotta give me so many reviews before I post the next chapter, I'm not gonna pull that on anybody. It's kind of childish in a way. I only request one at the very least, but if I don't get any at all, the chapters will still be posted, I'll just go on wondering if the chapter sucked or not. –shrugs- I'm not going to punish you guys for not having the time to, or for choosing to not type a few lil words, it's not right. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it was really important to me to know that you guys really want this story to continue. Thank you so much for your support. And it took so long to get posted cause my document manager wasn't lettin me upload this chapter. Without further ado, I give you… chapter eight… Memories and Escape

**_Stumbling blindly in this world, we find the man who lost it all... Bits and pieces of scattered truths remain, to be pieced together with special glue. Here we watch as the sunset dances over his face, and the night is born anew..._**

Sunset was one of the few things he really enjoyed these days. Beautiful colors would light the sky as that fiery red orange orb would sink slowly below the horizon and he would feel at peace for a moment, just watching the day come to an end. It was odd really, how pensive he felt once the moon and stars arose in the night sky, casting a bit of light in the darkness for the weary in the world below them to sleep in peace under their watchful gaze… It seemed nowadays that the world got to sleep in piece while he had nightmares, confusing memories that seemed so good and so real would appear in his dreams and jumble together with the truths that Itachi had told him so many years ago. Somehow, his truths didn't add up with those images that kept haunting him. Standing there, beneath his favorite tree, Arashi continues gazing up at the sky, letting his mind wander. A dream comes to mind and for once, he allows it to play out.

_**Dream/Flashback**_

_Clear blue skies dotted with white, puffy clouds is layered over fresh green grass as Konoha peacefully drifts through another perfect day just as it has weathered many storms. Childrens' laughter fills the stillness as they enjoy this day off from the academy and training with their Jounin senseis. Arashi was in the hospital, his beloved wife in a bed in the maternity ward, going through the early stages of her labor pains. He was there, holding her hand, voice loving, soothing her nerves, or was it to soothe his? He'd never really known. All that he knew was that his heart was beating at an erratic pace and he was exhilarated and afraid at the same time. This was to be their firstborn child. He was overjoyed that a little bundle of joy was about to enter their lives and yet, so afraid of what the future would hold for his child. The life of a ninja was unpredictable and had its hardships. Death was a danger they faced everyday of their lives. For his child, he wanted everything to go well and he wanted the child to be happy and feel safe, secure, and most of all… loved._

_That's when it happened… the Kyuubi was released and it attacked Konoha… It was October tenth, a cool, clear morning… He fought in that battle, watched many of his friends, many good, strong ninja go down. He'd seen it as Obito Uchiha requested that Kakashi take his sharingan eye to replace the one Kakashi'd lost in battle. He'd watched as Rin preformed the jutsu, and he'd watched as tears were shed… Thinking quickly as he always did, Arashi ordered a ninja to bring him a child whose umbilical cord had yet to be tied. When the ninja returned, he found that the only child who fit the description given had been his own son. It made his decision a lot harder than it had been just moments ago as he held the baby boy in his arms taking in the tuft of golden blonde hair and big blue eyes so much like his own. Tears pricked his eyes, knowing already what kind of life he'd be dooming his own child to by performing this jutsu, but it had to be done for the sake of Konoha. Sarutobi was there with him. "What is this child's name Arashi?" _

_"His name is Naruto….. Naruto Uzumaki..." He saw Sarutobi's reaction to the use of his wife's maiden name, but ignored it as he spoke to his son. "Naruto… I hope you'll forgive me for what I'm about to do, and the pain this will surely cause you in the future… Promise me that you will always protect Konoha…" Somehow, looking into those clear blue eyes, he knew the child understood and agreed. Giving up on all reservations about this, Arashi stated, "This child will be the savior of us all, the hero of our village…" He then made the hand signs needed for the jutsu…_

_**End Dream/Flashback**_

Wiping away the single tear that silently slips down his cheek, Arashi sighs softly before regaining his usual emotionless gaze. It wasn't real, this dream of his, because if it was then that young man in the holding cell was his son. If that dream was real, then that was his Naruto, the only member of his family left alive, and he couldn't possibly kill him. And it would mean, that the blonde in that cell, cursing the guards holding him prisoner, was innocent of the crimes committed against Arashi and Arashi himself was at fault. No, that wasn't the case here was it? No matter what, that dream had to be a fantasy world in which his mind wished to live and no matter how looking at the young man was like looking in a mirror with six scratches on it, it was only a dream right? Somehow, Arashi didn't think so, but if Itachi found out about the way his mind wandered, he'd not be allowed to remember anything at all.

**_Memories in the form of dreams, sometimes nothing is at all what it seems…_**

With a soft sigh, Iruka relaxes in the steamy hot water of the hot spring Kakashi had taken him to on vacation leave and Naruto's blessing. Iruka insisted they'd give Naruto his birthday present before leaving. He should've known that it was something kinky and perverted given the fact that it was Kakashi's turn to buy Naruto's present. He'd turned as red as Naruto had when the younger man had pulled out a few bottles of different kinds of lubricant, a good sized dildo, leather chaps, a black cowboy hat to match them, and a collar and leash. It was funny to think of Naruto wearing the chaps or cowboy hat, but it was one of Kakashi's odd quirks, and the look on both Sasuke _and_ Gaara's faces was a good indication that the new toys would be used very soon. The sound of someone else slipping into the water snaps Iruka out of his current thoughts and he smiles as Kakashi settles in next to him.

With a soft smile on his handsome, uncovered face, Kakashi pulls Iruka over to him and settles him between his legs, his back against his chest with Kakashi's arms wrapped around him and his chin lightly resting on his left shoulder. "I love you 'Ruka-love…"

Smiling softly at the husky, sincere voice and the love that fills his heart from hearing those words, he speaks softly back to his husband, "As I love you Kashi-bear." Kakashi kisses his cheek gently and holds him as if he's never going to let him go. His heart swells with his love for the man in his arms as they are happy and contented to share this moment, relaxing in each others company, blissfully unaware of Naruto's capture. Blissfully unaware of all else but each other and the love they share as lazy caresses become bolder, bodies turn and lock in a passionate embrace, once again proving their love in every way possible, just as they have since the very beginning of their relationship.

**_High tide's a rollin' in, comin' with a side of wind and stinging rain, oh, the pain one can feel, when secrets are revealed..._**

Everything hurt. He was stuck in his damp, smelly holding cell in the hide out of the Akatsuki, and he'd already been 'spoken to'. They wanted cooperation did they? Well, the proud Rokudaime of Konoha would never back down, would never surrender. He'd been through worse pain than these fools could ever think to put him through, and all before his thirteenth birthday, so if they thought they could torture their answers out of him, they were sorely mistaken. He would protect Konoha at all costs, even if he had to forfeit his own life for it. Life was never a picnic, so he was use to it… the only thing that bothered him was that member that looked like an older version of him. The likeness was so striking that had the other man been younger, they could've been twins. He vaguely remembered seeing a picture in Hokage tower of the Yondaime that had sealed the nine tailed fox within him. He found that he couldn't find fault in the man for doing what was best for Konoha. It may have been the reason for Naruto's painful childhood, but he couldn't hate the man for it.

Deciding to sit down, Naruto waits until the guard goes to switch places with someone else before murmuring to himself. "Yondaime Hokage… I forgive you…. I forgive you for sealing the Kyuubi inside of me when I was a baby. I forgive you for the pain and all the hardships I've endured all my life because of the kyuubi I contain… As I promised, I have tried to spend my life always protecting Konoha… and when I bust myself out of this hell hole, I will continue to protect Konoha."

A voice startles him, snapping him out of the almost trance-like state he was in. "So my dreams are true… Itachi lies. Thank you Naruto… for not hating me."

Looking up, Naruto gasps when his eyes meet the blue ones of the man that are identical to his own. "Who are you and why do you look like me? Why did you listen to Itachi anyway? He killed his entire clan but for Sasuke! Of course he's lying!"

Arashi studies the blonde before him silently, still unsure of what to believe, but deciding that going with what his gut instinct tells him would be a wise decision at the moment. "I am Arashi, the Yondaime hokage who sealed the nine tailed fox within you. Naruto Uzumaki, I am your father."

Naruto looks at him in disbelief. "You!? Alright buddy, I don't know what your game is, but I seriously doubt any father would kick his son's ass and help the enemy who wants his son DEAD capture him! So why should I believe you? For all I know you're using genjutsu on me right now!"

"Calm down kid and think about it. If you're half the hokage you think you are, then you should be able to spot a genjutsu from a mile away and be able to repel it with little to no effort at all. If I was using genjutsu or lying to you, you'd know it."

Thinking for a moment, Naruto scowls, but slowly nods his agreement. "Okay, so you're not using genjutsu and you're probably not lying, I still haven't decided that one yet. If you're my father, why'd you leave me orphaned?"

Arashi lets out a slow, tired sigh before answering him. "I honestly have no idea how that happened Naruto. That jutsu was supposed to take my life. I was the sacrifice. After the jutsu was completed, everything went black, but then... I woke up with no memories other than my name and Itachi filled my mind with information that was supposedly about me. Had I been myself, I would have gone back to Konoha and raised you as it should have been. I'm still trying to remember things. The only thing I remember was the day you were born, the day I sealed the Kyuubi inside of you. I remember nothing from before that. It took seeing you up close for that one memory to resurface completely."

Grudgingly Naruto nods his understanding and decides to accept his story no matter how weird it sounds. "I was wondering if I was at home, looking in a full sized mirror when I saw you. If you were a few years younger, and I didn't have these whisker marks, we could be twins." Serious blue eyes meet the sad ones on the other side of the bars. "Now that that's over, are you coming back to Konoha with me when I escape?"

Arashi smiles at his spunk and pulls out a key. "Not only am I going with you, but I'm helping you escape. What better way to get out of a holding cell that having the key?"

Naruto grins as he unlocks the cell door. Walking out, he decides to risk being lead to the torture chamber by following Arashi. Arashi silently shows him the signs for his body flicker jutsu and watches in amazement at how quickly Naruto catches on to it. With a nod to one another, both use the jutsu to escape the confines of the Akatsuki hide out and head towards Konoha, blood soaking the path behind them, one lone black cape with red clouds on it fluttering as it lands on the ground useless to the one who once wore it now.

**_Escape is easy but does not fool the two, as they know their enemies will follow after them soon…_**

Surrounded is what they were. There was no escape, no end of their attackers in sight. Cloud had decided to attack Konoha, they needed their Hokage but no one could leave. The women and children were already evacuated and safe within the confines of Hokage Mountain where five faces were looking over the village and the sixth was in progress. Sasuke could feel his chakra escaping him as he used the chidori for a second time. He didn't notice the attack coming at him from behind until he heard a very familiar voice behind him and felt the blood splatter against his back. With a swift turn, he faces none other than Naruto, who has the attacker speared with a kunai. "Watch your back Teme I don't want to lose you. Now stop using your Sharingan and fight like a ninja damn it."

Sasuke smiles and surprisingly obeys him, then gives him a quick kiss, thankful that he's returned. "Don't get killed Dobe."

Naruto snorts softly, but grins in amusement as Sasuke turns and starts fighting, better able to concentrate on the enemy now that he knows Naruto's back. "I'm not plannin on it Sasu." Naruto turns and concentrates on forming his chakra into his hand, shaping it into a rasengan. He smirks at his shocked father, who grins and does the same, both attack, using the rasengan to clear the field in front of them of Cloud nin. Hours later, the tide turns and finds Cloud ninja retreating, taking the bodies of their fallen comrades with them as they are allowed to leave.

Once they're gone, people turn to Naruto and gasp at the one standing beside him. "Yondaime Hokage!" Arashi gives the crowd a small smile and waves cutely at them, his quirky sense of humor kicking in.

Gaara growls and charges at him, only to get stopped by Naruto. "Gaara stop. Yes, he was in on my kidnapping, but Itachi was the, mastermind behind it. Arashi is my father, and until I was captured, had no solid memory from before Itachi and the Akatsuki took him in. I'm not saying I trust him completely yet, but I'm not going to allow you to harm him. The only thing he's done was to beat me in a fair fight and capture me. Kisame, Itachi, and their leader were the ones to torture me. Speaking of the torture, I need Tsunade's help."

Gaara looks at him sternly. "You fought this battle wounded?"

Naruto grins happily at him, not at all affected by that dangerous tone of his. "The obvious answer there would be yes as this village is more important to me that a few wounds that can easily be healed, it's the sprained ankle and broken wrist I'm worried about." Sasuke shakes his head and lets out a laugh. Gaara looks between the two of them, confused and thinking they're both crazy.

Calming his laughter, Sasuke walks over to Naruto and swings him up in his arms, smiling when Naruto's arms slip up around his neck, holding on to him loosely, showing the trust he has in the Uchiha. "Let's get you to Tsunade you idiot."

Naruto snorts softly and mocks him lightly. "Yeah, well, I love you too you bastard." Amused, Sasuke lets a small smile twitch the corners of his lips up a little.

**_Not as easy as it seems, one blonde injured while another schemes..._**

A/N: Sucky ending for this chapter, but hope it was alright anyway.. As for the easy escape, that's going to come back and hauint them both soon enough. I don't think the Akatsuki would let anybody get away with walking out on them with one of their targets. So, that said, there will be trouble in the future, and seeing as I am a just in case kind of person, I rated the story M for safety. This one could've gotten by under the rating it was before, but oh well. Another chapter completed with one on the way. I hope it didn't suck too bad.


	9. Changes, Darkness Lurks Nearby

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but me and my plot bunnies do own the plot, so nuh!

Warnings: Rated M for safety, for when ever I decide to fit in the mini lemon for my sis. Yaoi, confusion, betrayal, brain washing etc… Oh, and this is sort of a filler chapter...

A/N: Sorry for the lateness guys, and I'm sorry that this chappy will be a bit short, but I still can't quite figure out what I'ma have to do to fix the plot, and things are hectic around here as always... anyways, I hope you enjoy what little bit I can type up for this chapter. And Gaara will branch off to a new relationship sometime down the road… you can ask who, but I'm not telling yet! –hides answer up sleeves- Heh, the love triangle thingy is getting to be a lil odd for me here, because it doesn't seem to work with how I want the story to end.. eventually... so... yeah… enjoy!

_**The four dreaded words all men must hear….. We need to talk… is near is here…**_

After the battle, things around Konoha settled into a guarded kind of normalcy. The people were happy, sure, but they were also on their guard, watching for anything that spelled trouble for them. Within days, Naruto managed to dispel the fear, only mentioning that the villagers should trust their shinobi to protect them, and reminded them that such was the fate of the shinobi and their villages. Their way of life was dangerous and in turn, trouble would always lurk in the darkness, waiting for the perfect time to strike out at them. And thus was the life of a shinobi, to train as if there would be a war tomorrow, to savor all that life brought them each day, and to be prepared for the day they may fall to a shinobi stronger than them. Oddly comforted by his 'death is a way of life' speech, the villagers relaxed and everything settled into its normal rhythm in Konoha….. But for a few glitches here and there, that is…

Hinata and Kiba, who were one of the hot couples in the village and were engaged to be married, had a huge falling out that ended up with Hinata giving him his ring back and both of them agreeing that it was over. The beautiful Kunoichi had long since ceased her constant stuttering and had allowed her hair to grow longer. She'd gotten more confident and stronger as well and had a fan club all her own. Kiba's new absence in their Hinata-chan's life was reason for her fanboys to throw a party at their headquarters… a party which Naruto saw fit to immediately put a stop to to save both of his friends from the embarrassment such a thing would cause them.

Another thing that had happened was Ino and Shikamaru's wedding. They were finally able to tie the knot and were given leave to go on their week-long honeymoon. Directly after that happened something that shocked the villagers and shinobi. It was something that Naruto and Sasuke both saw coming…. Gaara ended their romantic relationship and decided that he'd much rather be friends with the two than be stuck in the middle and second best for both men. He deserved better and Naruto agreed whole-heartedly. So, after years of being together, Naruto and Gaara said goodbye to their relationship and settled down into a much more comfortable relationship as friends, which Sasuke was secretly ecstatic about.

Arashi, with the help of Kakashi, Jiraiya, and his old home, gained more of his memories back and was on his way to becoming friends with his son. Naruto was happy to learn about the things Arashi had found out about himself and who he was before being brainwashed, and as a bonus, Arashi would train daily with the young Rokudaime, teaching him a few of his own jutsu. He was pleasantly surprised when he found that Naruto often caught on quickly when given specific instructions.

Things were changing, yet it seemed that they were changing for the better and each day was better than the last, but Naruto had a nagging suspicion that things were about to take a turn for the worst…

_**When the world is bright and happy, and everything runs smoothly, the hidden walls on all four sides slowly start crashing in, shattering the beautiful genjutsu that has everyone fooled so well…**_

A/N: Welp, that's all for now, as the warning says, this one's kind of a filler chapter until I get my head on backwards again and ideas flow more freely. And it's pathetically short for me. Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I will try to update sooner, but no promises as the plot bunnies like to bite on their own whim, and it's never when I need em to. Thank you all for reading. Oh, and I thrive on support from loyal readers.


	10. Troublesome Burdens

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but me and my plot bunnies do own the plot, so nuh!

Warnings: Rated M for safety, for whenever I decide to fit in the mini lemon for my sis.

A/N: This chapter took a lil while to come to me. As always, I'm sorry for the lateness of the chapter. Thank you for your support, I love you guys! And I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

_**For the days gone by without a single reason, everything changes just like the seasons, but one thing remains the same, for everything good in life there must exist something bad… a yin and yang to keep balance**_

Sometimes it's better to be ignorant of the bad things in this world rather than to worry about them and wonder if a loved one was only pretending and really has more motives than he lets on. At least, that's what Naruto had been thinking for the hundredth time in two days while watching his father. Arashi seemed innocent enough, but there seemed to be an uncertainty in his aura that's a dangerous omen in itself and Naruto decided that he'd be a fool to ignore that. For now, he would show wisdom in keeping a possible threat as close as he could.

But, you can't always keep an eye on a threat when you're hokage, so he entrusted Jiraiya and Kakashi to do their newly appointed task despite the feelings they have. Jiraiya wanted to believe that his former student was still the good kid he'd been before the Kyuubi came and Kakashi wanted to trust his former sensei. Naruto cautioned both of them by reminding them that Arashi was the one who'd killed two elite Konoha ninja and beat Naruto to capture him for the Akatsuki, so old friend or not, Arashi was still a possible threat until he regained every last memory he'd lost. Kakashi was the first to agree and Jiraiya agreed as well, but more reluctantly.

With Arashi watched, Naruto could safely concentrate on the finer business matters of Konoha and its allies. He checked out mission reports and filled out paperwork, and signed a few hundred papers. Reading one mission report he'd gotten from a genin team leader, Naruto noticed something that had been in a few of the other more recent genin mission reports. Brow furrowing, he grabs up the mission reports that state one little thing that seems simple, but gives him the chilling feeling of impending doom and an enemy other than his father in their midst. Four Jounin instructors were about to have a lot of explaining to do…

_**With his village in danger, the Rokudaime will not rest until the danger has been found out and eliminated… Even if he himself must play detective with a certain lazy jounin genius…**_

Sasuke lets out another sigh as he watches Naruto and Shikamaru speak with Hinata, who had blossomed into a really good Jounin. He wasn't sure what they were talking about but lately Naruto's been cranky and brooding even more than Sasuke and it was enough to make the Uchiha worry. Naruto's seriousness was even starting to freak out the children of the village, they stayed far away from him. Even his protege Konohamaru stayed clear of his boss. If Sasuke could catch him he'd point it out to the Uzumaki, but he wasn't about to press his luck. Even Gaara was tip-toeing on eggshells around the blonde. Something big was happening, he could feel it, but what was it? Why was his Dobe being so serious and where did his trademark grin go? Sasuke had even asked Kakashi and Jiraiya if Arashi was doing anything suspicious, but both men said that he was behaving as he should be. It would still be a long time before he fully regained his memories, but he was learning more about himself and his past every day.

He watches as Naruto smiles and says something to Hinata who looks a little terrified and says something back to him that puts the stern frown on his face again. Naruto points over to where Gaara is staying and says something more that Sasuke can't hear, but the intent is clear-- Hinata was to go speak with the Kazekage. Watching Hinata leave with a well hidden curiousity, Sasuke notices that she's smiling a little and Naruto is all smiles again... for the moment at least. With a heavy sigh, Sasuke continues with his chores for the day. It's his turn to buy groceries and tidy up the house before he does guard duty at the gates.

**_Waiting for a sign to what I feel is near, wishing now the answers laid out before me were more clear.._**

Naruto looks around the village once more and lets out a soft growl. Beside him, Shikamaru feels that it's time to speak up about his friend's odd behavior and get to the bottom of it. "Naruto you've been acting like a woman PMSing lately. It's so troublesome people are afraid to come near you just to say hello. What's got you so worried you can't hide it with a smile anymore?"

Naruto looks at him and sighs. "Until my father recovers every last memory he's lost Shikamaru, he's still one of the biggest threats to Konoha. The Akatsuki are on the move again but they haven't been seen, so none of the shinobi of the other villages has been able to even vaguely keep track of their movements and on top of that, I have a sneaky suspicion that they're hiding within the walls of Konoha. There's something I've found while looking through the genin teams' mission reports that troubles me. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal because it's something so small, even you wouldn't think twice about it."

Shikamaru raises a brow at him, curious as to why he's worrying about something so small. "Then why are you so worried about it?"

Blue eyes intense, and staring up at the cloudless sky, Naruto answers, "Because every Jounin instructor who wrote it down on their mission reports has explained it in the exact same way, using the exact same words. Now unless they're pooling their reports together and having the same Jounin write the reports, that's a really big red flag that tells me it's not as simple as it seems, nor is it insignificant any longer. The bothersome thing about it all is that what each Jounin describes in at least three of the more recent D-rank missions each team has been on, is something that shouldn't be happening unless they're on C-rank missions."

Shikamaru's eyes widen slightly. "It sounds like one more thing to worry about, but we do need to look out for it. Are you going to call a meeting soon? As troublesome as it is, I think the Jounin and Chuunin need to be told."

Naruto nods a little and looks over at him. "The ANBU and Hunter nin already know, I called their meeting earlier today. Tomorrow a messenger will be sent to all Jounin and Chuunin and they will be told as well. If this means what I think it means, we all need to be ready for another battle that will be coming very soon. The worst part is, I think Arashi is a big part of whatever their planning. He may not know it, but he is and Jiraiya and Kakashi are supposed to be more for his protection than anything. If Itachi brain washed him once, he will do it again and it's easier when a victim does not have a strong hold over their memories and have barely begun to figure out who they really are."

"Troublesome, but I think you're right Naruto. Right now he's an easy target and even with Jiraiya and Kakashi hovering, he's a sitting duck. I have no doubt though, that together, Konoha and her allies will defeat this threat."

With a smile, Naruto agrees softly. "Yeah, we will rise above those who threaten our homes and families and way of life. A few of our allies arrive in two days... I will see you later Shika, I have more work to do and some children to cheer up. Thanks for the talk, I needed it." Shikamaru merely smiles before turning and going his own way. Naruto smiles his usual smile once more and heads to the Academy to speak with Iruka's class about the eternal flame of Konoha that each person carries inside...

**_Let sleeping dogs lie and shadows keep, their secrets as silent as the dead in eternal sleep.._**

A/N: hopefully this chapter didn't suck as much as I think it did. I only want you guys to enjoy the story as each chapter comes. I'll try harder to make each chapter as good as I can. As for all my supporters, if you reviewed or did anything I considered as support that's helped me keep this story going, you will be recognized in the last chapter, every single one of you. I love you guys! Review if you've got the time to. See ya next chapter!


	11. Missions and Bad Guys

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but me and my plot bunnies do own the plot, so nuh!

Warnings: Rating will change as needed. Bad guys about, stay alert, bright-eyed and bushy tailed like a squirrel.

A/N: I'm going to try somethin a little different when I type this up. I wonder if it'll make it easier to read the dialogue or not, I'm not sure, but if you guys like it better this way, then I'll cut back on my habit of grouping things together in big paragraphs. My thanks goes out to _**dragonegyptianblue**_ for tossing around ideas with me and helping me out of my slump. It helped me out a lot. I need a creative idea tosser arounder every now and then. Any way, enjoy the story guys!

_**Been so long since time stood still, even if we wanted it to now, I doubt it will…**_

With an annoyed sigh, Naruto looks up as Kakashi poofs into his office. "You're late Hatake. Next time take a watch with you and remember to keep an eye on the time. I almost sent Ibiki after you. You have a new mission."

Kakashi smiles sheepishly behind his mask, his eye curving slightly. "Gomen Hokage-sama. I got lost on the road of life this morning."

Naruto lets a slight, amused smile grace his features and jokes lightly, "Then bring a road map with you next time so it won't be so hard to get back on the right trail. It's less time consuming ne?"

"Hai." Kakashi stands by as Naruto sorts through the papers and scrolls littering his desk to find the appropriate scroll for Kakashi. Once he finds it, he hands it over to the Jounin. Kakashi takes it and looks it over, committing the information to memory before storing it in one of his hidden vest pockets.

"You are to assassinate every one of all ninja rank in that rouge nin village. Normally I would tell you to annihilate the entire population, but it has come to my attention that there are mere village women and children who were taken for ransom. A few of the women are young maidens the men have manhandled and kept around for their own pleasure. Only assassinate those of all Shinobi rank, and then get back to your primary mission immediately after. I can deal with getting the mission report tomorrow morning. You leave once dismissed and prepared."

Kakashi inclines his head towards Naruto in acknowledgement and speaks calmly. "As you wish Hokage-sama." He disappears in a puff of smoke when Naruto gestures, indicating that he is now dismissed.

Letting out a soft, annoyed sigh, Naruto summons a few Chuunin to his office. With Kakashi on a mission that the copy nin could finish and return from at any time and the pervy sage up to his old tricks again, he needed to have someone look after his father. It would only be for a couple of days anyway, and he himself had a training appointment with Arashi after lunch tomorrow so the Chuunin would only need to hang out around Arashi until then before returning to regular duty.

_**Line thingy that goes here.. yada yada yada….To the bad guys now!**_

In an undisclosed location at the southern borders of Konoha, All the members of the Akatsuki join with a few hundred Hidden Mist nin and the remnants of Orochimaru's Oto nin, go over their plan to cripple Konoha thoroughly. The Akatsuki leader speaks, "Our intelligence reports show that the Copy-nin and Sannin who usually hover around Arashi are both out on separate missions. Our target has six Chuunin hovering over his father for now. These Chuunin will only leave Arashi's house when either Naruto himself or his usual protectors come. Our plan then is to have two Akatsuki members perform a henge, making themselves look like Kakashi and Jiraiya. They will then go into Konoha and lure Arashi out. They will bring him here and we will let Itachi 'sweet talk' him into doing our bidding. The only hitch in the plan would be if the man's memory has completely returned."

Itachi speaks up calmly, "I doubt that he has managed to recapture every memory. Amnesia is not an easy thing to shake. He may have an almost completed memory, but not enough to protect him from being mislead if done the correct way."

The leader nods, agreeing with him wordlessly. "We will trick him into bringing Naruto here where he and his precious father will be trapped in a seal that seals both his and the fox's chakra. Without their precious hokage to jump in and save them, Konoha will have a weakness and we will exploit it to its fullest. Konoha will fall in two days. Now, as for who's going…"

_**Plans revealed, but what will be? Without their hokage, how bright will Konoha's flame be?**_

A/N: This.. has to be the shortest chapter I've posted.. well.. one of them at least. Now you know what the bad guys are planning, but will their plans succeed, or will some unforeseen happenstance toss a monkey wrench into the works? We'll see what happens.. Of course, I already know.. and I will try to get the next chapter out by the end of the weekend. If not by Sunday, then by at the most Tuesday.


	12. A Father's Decision

Disclaimer: I own my computer... my cordless phone, a few hundred novels I've read at least a thousand times, my procrastinating tendencies, and InuYasha plushie... and random things you just can't help but gather in 21 years of livin as well as my music collection. However, I DO NOT OWN Naruto or any of the characters affiliated therein…

Warnings: A little bit of brainwashing, not too much, just a smidgen… and one hokage to be weary, and one father worrying over a decision he's made.

A/N: Sorry guys, but once again, my best laid plans slipped from my fingers as my brain refused to work on the story ideas and I got lost somewhere reading other fictions. Not to mention the fact that it's hectic and I'm trying to get ready for my college graduation. Bare with me here and I'll do my best to give you guys a good chapter. If you haven't, go check out chapter eleven as I did delete the author's note and post the chapter itself. Other than that… enjoy…

_**A man makes his own destiny, and walks his own path in this life…**_

Sitting alone in his kitchen, the former Yondaime eats the small breakfast he cooked for himself slowly, savoring the freedom he has now to live his life as he wishes. Thinking back on his days as a member of the Akatsuki feels wrong now especially knowing that he tried to undo what he'd died for—what had made him a legend, a hero in Konoha. He was manipulated so easily it was pathetic. Though he did have amnesia, he once knew Itachi and the slash through the symbol of the hidden leaf village should've clued him in on a few things. He'd not be so gullible or stupid again…. or so he thought…

After methodically washing and putting away his dishes, Yondaime goes about cleaning the rest of the house, needing something to occupy his hands and mind. Besides, what better way to jolt your memory than by going through old momentos and piecing together the memories that go with each object?

A knock sounded at the door and Yondaime answered it, suspicious of who was on the other side. He could not feel their chakra signatures and that made him cautious. To his surprise, he sees Kakashi and Jiraiya standing there. Right away, he notices what's wrong with this. The two never show up at his home together. Jiraiya was always the first to drop by and Kakashi always came an hour after Jiraiya because of his time at the memorial stone. Unless he was hallucinating, Kakashi was missing a copy of his favorite perverted book. When there is no Icha Icha in the copy nin's hand, there is trouble or he's dealing with a baby. It was time to approach these imposters carefully.

Now settled inside, the imposters shed their henge to show that they are none other than Kisame and Itachi. Arashi merely watches them, a silent question in that raised brow. Itachi answers his silent question in his usual monotone. "I apologize for the lies that have lain between us for the past twenty two years Arashi. There is a grain of truth beneath the lies. You were helping us with the Kyuubi matter. The nine tailed fox has brought nothing but pain and heartache to your son. You were aiding us in ridding Naruto of his burden so he could at last live a fully happy life."

Thinking it over for a moment, Arashi finds some logic in Itachi's words. His son would be happier without the fox sealed within him wouldn't he? The thought he can't shake is, 'what you don't remember may hurt you.' With a small frown, he looks at the two before him. "How do I know I can trust your words?"

Itachi smirks, "You don't. If you decide to trust us again, we will be waiting in the eastern side of the forest surrounding Konoha. Bring Naruto with you. You're the only one who can help him be rid of the beast within him forever. Come Kisame. We have completed our mission successfully." Standing, the Akatsuki members replace their Henge and walk out of the house, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

Mulling it over, Arashi makes up his mind, not knowing the peril he is about to bring to both he and Naruto….

**------------------------------------**

Desk clean but for a few small piles of mission scrolls and mission reports neatly arranged on it, Naruto lets his head drop out of frustration. If not for that drawn out meeting with the village council, he'd have been finished with his paperwork much sooner. With a soft sigh, the weary Rokudaime decides to get a few mission scrolls out of his hands and into he hands of a few bored shinobi. After all, why should he have all the fun? Why not just share it will all of his friends? All of his Lazy, relaxing friends who are putting up their feet and hanging out right now because they have nothing fun to do like him… Yep, it was time to change that little detail. With a decidedly naughty smirk his teme affectionately called 'the smirk of impending doom', Naruto calls in a few ANBU, hands them scrolls to give to the shinobi he names off after handing out each scroll, and allows them to be his delivery service.

Sasuke appears in a light flurry of leaves and smirks. "I saw ANBU spreading to the four corners of the village. Did our little Rokudaime get bored with being the only one working again?"

Naruto smirks, "That… and I was cleaning off my desk. Not my fault there were mission scrolls in a pile that would rival hokage tower. Calmly pointing out the rest of the pile that's left on his desk, Naruto sighs. "Besides, the rest of the pile is for ANBU and hunter nin only. The others were D rank for the Jounin senseis and their teams, C rank for the Chuunin, and B rank for the Jounin. They've all been complaining about not having missions lately, so they should be glad to get them by now."

Resting his hip on the side of the desk, Sasuke smiles slightly. "Are you sure you didn't do it on purpose dobe? Leaving shinobi idle for so long will have them all but begging for missions to stave off their boredom."

Naruto snorts softly, but grins, "No, I didn't do it on purpose. Before today, the only missions were D rank and the ones that I've already sent shinobi on. How are you liking your position as an ANBU captain?"

"It's not bad. My team members are good people I know I can trust with my life as they can trust me with theirs, and we're having a time with trying to decide on my ANBU codename. I'm thinking Crow may suit me."

"Crow does fit, but we already have a Crow, so you could be Raven. With your coloring, it fits too. Both are black birds and your mask is that of a bird."

"Hn, I'll think about it Naruto. So, are you ready for a ramen break yet, or are you still too busy?" Watching those endless blue eyes light up and the broad grin stretch across that lightly tanned face, Sasuke knows the young Hokage is more than ready for his lunch break. He can't help but smile and allow the blonde ball of renewed energy pull him out of the room. Who was he to resist the light of his life?

**1256938407213546546465432143130354120463323543531365432**

While lovers share their lunch, and shinobi grudgingly admit that a mission is exactly what they needed to stave off their boredom, a single blonde man wracks his brain for memories of Akatsuki before he woke up in their hands, but can find none. He worries over his decision, but if it is a farce, then the two of them can surely escape whatever trap they get caught up in can't they? It wouldn't be hard for two such skilled shinobi.

While the blonde wars with himself over a decision made, a group of men prepare their seals, one for the current Hokage, and one for the Yondaime... both were important catches and they weren't going to give them up easily… wouldn't Arashi be surprised that they went through all this trouble just for him and his family?

**Cdjhglkjhiuyoigytdfedsflgddfwsyrsiyfjlhfhgfdsfhedasyrsyigcgjfssaetsdaf**

A/N: This one was hard for me to get out, but I have finished it despite the setbacks I've had. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Review if you've got a moment, if not, oh well for me. I'll get the next one out as soon as I can.


	13. Captured, Sketchy Plans For a Rescue

A/N: This story is close to completion. Just two or three more chapters and I'll finish it up. My plot bunnies have been switching my attention to a new and vastly more complex epic story. It too is a Sasu/Naru pairing along with many others, some yaoi, others boy/girl, or hetero. I've already finished the brain storming… twelve pages of it... and I've started writing, but I will be out of it while writing the story because it calls for my full attention. When I can, I'll probably only update my song fic on shots, but I wanted to finish this story first. I am truly sorry guys that it has taken this long for me to even update this fic. My only excuse is that once the ideas flow I have to write them down or else I lose them... that and I've been a bit lazy reading other fan fictions. Anyways, I'll try to post two chapters by midnight, no promises, but I will try my best. Thank you all for your support, it is greatly appreciated. I'm sorry for those I haven't replied to. Just know that I'm very thankful that you guys took the time to review.

Disclaimer: I am currently the proud owner of a box of brownies, but there are only two left cause I'm a choco-monger. As for Naruto and all affiliated characters or themes or elements, I do not own those, but I like to borrow them for my fan fictions cause they're fun to play with.

Warnings: A bit of ouchness… Next chapter should have a bit more ouchness in it cause that's when… yeah… anyways… Lil violence, pain, feelings of betrayal and stupidity are rampant. And I'm feelin a bit centered today, so the text is centered as well.

_**It's hard to move when you're stuck, but even harder when you brought the sticky situation upon yourself…**_

One minute, they're walking companionably through the forest just outside of the village walls, the next; they're fighting a losing battle. After getting thrown around, his back and the rest of his body used as a tool to bust up huge boulders and trees around them, Naruto was growing tired of seeing his own blood and watching his father get beaten almost as bad as he was. Some how Kyuubi was suppressed by some jutsu set up in the area. Unfortunately for him, they'd anticipated both his and his father's usually random reactions and movements and neither of their victims noticed the seals drawn on the forest floor even though they were glowing black with dark chakra. Soon enough, the Akatsuki had both blondes imprisoned in very powerful seals that ran a constant surge of chakra repressant through their bodies and had both passed out and very vulnerable.

_**Satisfied for now, the bad guys make their plans while others start missing the men who wanted to walk the land…**_

He was looking for Naruto. Everybody was looking for Naruto. All they knew was that their Hokage and his sire had been missing for the past four hours. If Sasuke hadn't been on a mission for the past five hours, they would've found out much sooner. Kakashi and Jiraiya, who had only arrived about thirty minutes ago, were with Shikamaru, strategizing. They needed a game plan if the Hokage had run into some trouble and it didn't look like Sasuke was up to thinking clearly enough to help them out.

Hinata was in Suna with Gaara, so Sakura had to be dragged away from her medic nin training with Tsunade who would be serving as temporary Hokage until Naruto was once again found. Shikamaru would team up with Kiba, Chouji, and Lee. He'd decided women were too troublesome for him to deal with since Naruto was missing. With one of his best friends MIA, he was not about to deal with estrogen and PMS. Kakashi was teamed up with Sai, Sakura, and Genma, who was bored. Jiraiya was happy because his team consisted of TenTen, Hinata, and Ino. All decided that Neji should join them to keep the girls from killing the perverted old man.

Teams decided, plans made, and Sasuke tagging along with Shikamaru, the teams were off on their rescue mission, not knowing what to expect, but knowing exactly what they had to do…

_**Secrets known and secrets kept, wonder why we never asked the sky why it wept…**_

The Akatsuki were currently settled around a small campfire, discussing in low voices what to do first with their captives. Said captives were tied up with chakra over their own personalized seals of imprisonment which Arashi recognized all too well as seals he himself had come up with while a member of the organization. They were using his own seals against him and his blood… irony was never a favorite of his anyway.

Naruto just rested in place; bonds making him hover a little over the ground, thinking about his father's betrayal. Wondering how he could've done such a think and why he did it. "Oi Yondy, What were you thinking, turning us over to these assholes like that?"

With a sigh, Arashi answers in the same hushed, calm tone Naruto used. "There's still a hole in my memories Naruto. They only had to tell me that I was working with them to rid you of the Kyuubi so you could live a normal, happy life and I considered it. It wasn't an easy decision, but at the time, I felt it was the right one. I hope you can forgive a foolish old man Naruto."

"Che, you're not old til you're eighty, and you have a valid excuse. You don't have a full memory of your life as I do, and you thought you'd be helping your only son. Only you learned that instead of listening to anyone in the Akatsuki organization, you should just ignore them as if they are non-existent. But I can definitely forgive my father's honest mistake."

Arashi smiles and Itachi's cold, condescending voice ruins their lil moment. "Aww, how quaint, you're having a family moment… You're pathetic, both of you. You can't even hate each other a little bit unless brainwashed." He eyes Naruto disdainfully, "You didn't try to make my worthless. otouto like me again did you? I want him to hate me. He'll never be able to kill me unless he does."

Naruto snorts softly, "Now who's pathetic Itachi? You can't even kill yourself. Sasuke has always held a love for his aniki whether you like it or not. You may be a monster personified, but he doesn't hate you, he just wants vengeance. If you don't have the balls to kill yourself and end your own life in a way befitting a traitorous bastard, then piss him off. As it stands now, you will never be able to touch him because you see, you have Sasuke's most precious person. The moment you captured me, your life was forfeit any damn way because Gaara will feel my chakra flicker to dangerously low levels and back Sasuke up. Both are possessive bastards and very overprotective over me. Yes, you will die and I won't have to lift a single finger to help. You want your death at your otouto's hands, you've got it."

Itachi snorts softly, "Hn, that weakling could never kill me Naruto, you should know that by now. We have decided that we will deal with you two tomorrow at dawn. Get a good night's rest, you'll need it. Well, at least, you will Arashi, Naruto will die once Kyuubi has been released and saved from his entrapment, so say goodbye to your precious little boy."

Looking at each other, the blondes communicate through their expressions, both sad. Their only hope is that Sasuke and the others find them well before dawn….

_**Rescue is on the way, but will they beat the light of day?**_

A/N: Sorry for the shortness guys. I'll try to get another one posted for you all tonight, but I'm not promising anything. With the new story by plot bunnies are nippin at my heels for, I'm just going to try to give this story an ending that is good and fits it. I wish I'd have planned this story as well as I did my newbie. The newbie will be called, 'Mending Time and Healing Scars.' It's going to be an AU story because I'm definitely not going to be following the canon at all. I'll give you a short summary for it at the end of this story and hope you guys will be interested in it enough to read it when I finally get to the point where I'll be able to type up what I have on paper and start posting it. Just know that it is complicated and will probably not be the easiest story to right. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, sorry it took so long to update. Review if you wanna and have the time to drop me a line or two.


	14. The Great Escape, Blink and It's Over

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and all of your awesome reading of the story guys. As it stands now, this is the fourteenth chapter. It is currently August 18, 2007. I've been busy lately, so I couldn't start on it til today. I doubt it'll get posted today, but I'm starting it.

Disclaimer: I own…a wide variety of cds and have an eclectic music collection. That aside, I DO NOT own Naruto or any affiliated characters, schemes or ideas of the original creator. I do, however; own my own lil scheme and plot ideas.

Warnings: Angry lovers are abundant. Pain, confused bad guys, runaway captives, and shinobi undermining authority will also be side effects of my writing this chapter, so beware. Since I suck at battle scenes, there are none here… sorry guys.

_**Because I would not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me; the carriage held but just ourselves and immortality—Emily Dickenson.**_

The dawn brought a misty hue to the dense forests that somehow seemed thickest around the two imprisoned men in the seals. To the surprise of their captors, the mist only got thicker and seemed to push them away so much that even Kisame couldn't get through it. No one could explain it so they all stayed alert as it was obviously some kind of trick.

Meanwhile, with the captives, the seal under Naruto had been broken in the night. The Kyuubi was now merged with Naruto completely so that, in effect, the two were really one person. The merger had broken a seal that was intended for two different souls. Naruto had freed Arashi and both worked long into the night as their captors slept under the genjutsu that their captives were still bound in their seals. Arashi helped his son learn to control the abundance of chakra now in his body by teaching him methods of strengthening his chakra pathways. After that, the two worked on a few jutsu and a plan of escape just in case the others didn't make it by dawn. So, as the Akatsuki were getting ready to fight an unseen enemy, their 'captives' were stealthily running away under the cover of Naruto's newly acquired demonic mist jutsu. They decided to use Arashi's body flicker technique seeing as the two jutsu share a common chakra pattern. They were out of there within two minutes and on an intercept course to the rescue party.

_**To kill or not to kill… it's not a question if the answer is already known… it's a tease…**_

Blinding anger, how dare they steal Naruto! How dare they touch a hair on his golden head! Oh, when he gets his hands on the Akatsuki, they're going to be begging for death! Sensing both Sasuke's powerful killing intent and the coming chakra signatures of a certain pair of blondes, Gaara gives Sasuke a dark look and calmly says, "If you don't calm down you idiot, we'll lose the element of surprise and be six feet under before we've batted a lash. Besides, Naruto and the Yondaime are headed straight for us."

Already lazily leaning against nearby tree trunks, Kakashi and Shikamaru both nod in agreement. Shika with his hands stuck in his pockets, Kakashi with his usual Icha Icha book out, this time a special addition in a glossy purple. The others wait in bated anticipation. Moments later, Naruto and Arashi burst from the thick canopy of tree branches and land lightly before the group. Naruto smiles at them. "Ohayo!"

Arashi smiles a little and pokes Naruto. "You still failed to mention why the seal that I made failed to hold you."

Naruto raises a brow at him and the curious looks of the others, ignoring the young Uchiha checking him over to see how many bruises he may have. "Simple, the seal was made so that I could build up my chakra, but not use it, and it was designed for two separate beings. My sixteenth birthday, when Kyuu and I were supposed to merge into one, I made another seal around the existing one so that it would happen eight to ten years down the road. If we'd merged back then, he could've easily taken control of my body and pushed my soul into a dormant non-existence. So I wanted to wait until we were both closer and understood each other better, or I was strong enough to suppress him. The seal was not made to activate automatically though, so I built up the chakra within myself and activated it that way. When we merged our two souls into one, the seal shattered and allowed me to escape. Kyuubi is still a part of me, but he's just a voice in my mind now. We are one, but he is still that annoying little voice in my head that I can't get rid of."

Arashi smiles distractedly. "So you did inherit my affinity for seals. We'll need to train together for the next week so that I may teach you seals. You'll need to make your own of course, but I can help you master them."

Sasuke glowers at the man. "You'll not be teaching him anything because you'll be in a cell soon as we get back!"

Hearing this, Naruto straightens and his expression turns hard and cold, unyieldingly intimidating. His usually warm, cheerful voice is now cold and hard as steel. "Last time I checked Uchiha, you are not the Hokage of Konoha. That job is mine and seeing as it is and seeing as I'm the only one other than my father who knows why we took the detour that got us both captured, I think it would be wise for you to step down for now."

"But Naruto he-"

"Mind your tongue Chuunin! Remember your rank because right now, I am speaking not as your lover, but your Hokage who so kindly gave you a chance to redeem yourself at a time when no one else would."

Everyone watches them as Sasuke opens his mouth as if to contradict him, but stands down and keeps his mouth shut at Naruto's warning look. Pleased that Sasuke didn't feel the need to thoughtlessly undermine Naruto's authority again, Kakashi decides that it's time for him to speak up.

"Hokage-sama, could you tell us what happened from the time you two started your walk to the time you found us? I'm sure everyone would like to know what went on so we won't start condemning anyone based on our own assumptions or uncontrolled emotions."

Naruto ignores Sasuke's almost visible flinch as that last sentence was directed at him. His demeanor once again changes to its usual warmth and happiness as he relates his story. At the end of it, he adds, "Although my father's actions at the beginning may be viewed as treacherous, he still had holes in his memory and couldn't be sure that he was doing the right thing. This only happened because he thought he was helping me and any good parent would want to help their child. I do not place the blame on him and it has come to my attention that he has regained his full memory." Arashi looks at him curiously and Naruto smiles. "You didn't remember that you were a seal master before this happened, and yet now you've mentioned training me on seal mastery because you think I have the same affinity for it that you do. IF you didn't remember, then you wouldn't know that."

Arashi's face lights up, "I think you're right Naruto…" Looking at his son's face, he reaches up and touches the whisker scars on one tanned cheek, smiling when the younger blonde seems to take comfort in the touch. "I remember sealing Kyuubi in you... and everything before that too like Jiraiya-sensei, and my genin team, Kakashi, Obito, Rin, and all of our adventures… I suppose that with all the excitement, I didn't really notice."

Jiraiya reaches over and ruffles the elder blonde's hair fondly. "And you call yourself a genius. It's good to have you back kid."

With a foxy smile, Naruto clears his throat and raises a brow for goofball effect. "Anyone ready to bring down the Akatsuki? Me and the old man here will lead you straight to 'em…"

Matching smirks and grins and one impassive look go around as a few let out war cries and leave, following the blondes to their enemy to wipe them out.

_**Experience life the best way you can and find your own answers because in the textbook of life, the answers aren't in the back because the ending has already been ripped out…**_

Sparks from weapons meeting, light from chakra attacks, and agonized cries of pain later, Every member of the Akatsuki have been slain and Sakura and Hinata are healing the wounds that a few of the guys managed to get during the fight. Once done, they gather the rings of the dead men and take those back with them along with their forehead protectors. Sasuke, the last one to leave, used his fireball jutsu to burn the bodies before following everyone else. The villagers rejoiced upon seeing their heroes back alive and the proof of a threat defeated once more by the leaf village. After a few words with Tsunade, Naruto dismissed everyone after getting their promises to rest and take the day off while the villagers got ready to party.

Home now, Naruto lets himself stumble and fall, only to be caught in Sasuke's arms. What he hears before sleep overtakes him makes him smile. In a low voice, Sasuke does one thing he always refrained from doing unless he was desperate, he apologized. "Naruto… I'm sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have questioned you because you were right, you are the Hokage and you knew much more about what happened than I did." That said, the Uchiha picks his lover up and carries him to bed.

_**Sometimes writing takes too long because my train of thought derails and soon is gone…**_

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, thanks for any patience you've had with me, the next one will be the last and I will get it started as soon as I possibly can and get it out to you. No promises because I dun know when it'll come out. I love you all to death, and if you've got the time, review, I'm a sucker for those.


	15. Epilogue The End

A/N: I've been lazy guys, seriously. I'm sorry about that. I've been reading stories and my bunnies have been nipping at my heels for other story ideas. I think I'll end this one here and I pray that the ending fits the story. It will be set two years after the last chapter. Big time skip, I know, but think of it as an epilogue. I will promise one thing though… the stories that come after this one will be thought out much better and they will not have a random plotline like this one. Because of the lack of pre-planning, this story's plotline kind of got lost in the background. I won't let that happen again. Anyways, enjoy the chapter. At the end… my shout outs to everybody. I love you all!

Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto, but I do own many notebooks stuffed with beginnings of random fanfictions so nuh!!

Warnings: uh…… other than boy lovin…. Nuthin major.

"_**When everything is all said and done, make sure that you don't regret your mistakes as much as you learn from them and allow them to help you grow into a better person…" -Jennifer-aka-AngelOfContemplation-**_

Two years to the day their Rokudaime returned home, the villagers and ninja of Konoha realized that he was a very important person to them and decided to give him a day of his own to rest and take a break while his most trusted people looked after the village for him, only coming to him for the most important cases and decisions. For the most part, Naruto left very detailed lists of all he wanted to be done that day and what qualified as important enough to come to him with. Otherwise, he was not to be bothered while at home with his Sasu-kun.

Sasuke, for the most part, was happy that things were finally working out for them. In Naruto, he had found the redemption that he'd been searching for for years. In The rest of the Konoha eleven and their old senseis, he found friends who had come to accept once more after seeing that he was, indeed, sincere. In Konoha, he found the home his heart had never really left behind, and in the newly called Minato, the father figure he'd long went without in his troubled life. And, in Naruto, Sasuke had also found pure, untainted unconditional love that he knew would never fade.

For Minato, just remembering his true name was a huge sigh of relief and a sign that he truly had regained his full memory. He took joy in living in the village among its people once more. He loved being so close to his former student, his former sensei, and his son. He saw himself in Naruto and was often amazed at how the young man could've gone through life without him there to raise him with the love he'd deserved and still manage to become the person he was. It showed a measure of strength and willpower that Minato himself wasn't sure he'd have had. He was proud of his son and happy that he'd been forgiven and accepted so easily by at least three people in the village. That, for now, was enough. As long as his most precious people loved him, he felt like the luckiest man alive.

As Shikamaru chased down his crawling one year old son, he muttered to the laughing Ino about how troublesome it was to be chasing a baby around the Hokage's office while she got to stand there and do nothing. But, Ino only grinned as her husband caught their son and picked him up. Shikaji, for the most part, may have had his father's looks, but he certainly had his mother's personality in more ways than one. He was an intelligent child, but was also very energetic and demanding. Shikamaru has been praying that their next child is as lazy as he himself can be so he won't be chasing that kid around too. Ino was often annoyed with his lazy tendencies, but she wouldn't change him for the world. It was just Shikamaru being… well, Shikamaru and she loved him as is.

Gaara and Hinata had amazingly hit it off and were engaged. Their wedding would take place on Naruto's birthday this year as that was the only other time their friend wasn't chained to his office. Gaara had opened up during their two years together and there were times that his beautiful smiles would startle everyone around them but for his violet-eyed angel. In public, they would walk as close as possible without touching more than a shoulder, but privately, the couple was free to show what was in their hearts without having prying eyes or startled looks thrown their way. Besides, they enjoyed being private people and would often smile at the legends floating around Konoha about ho they'd gotten together. Their personal favorite was one where it was speculated that Gaara kidnapped Hinata and put her under his spell and just to keep the rumor going, Gaara would often 'kidnap' Hinata from random places just to take her home for some alone time. It always gave them something to laugh about, and more imaginative rumors to overhear the next day.

Sakura and Lee were redoing the old nursery in anticipation of their second child. Little Mitasou was always trying to lend a hand and was overjoyed that she'd have a new baby brother or sister to play with soon. As she'd go on for hours about how they would have such youthful arguments and such youthful displays of sibling love, Sakura would merely give Lee a 'see-I-told-you-she-takes-after-you-more' look and smile at his flirty wink.

Kakashi was often a permanent fixture in Iruka's classroom when Naruto allowed it. He would be conned many times into teaching the kids along with Iruka, giving the assistant chuunin a break and a front row seat on how Iruka had Kakashi wrapped around his little finger. The jounin was notoriously known for ignoring anyone who needed a silly little favor from him, but just a word from Iruka and the scarecrow was doing whatever his dolphin asked of him be it big or small. To date, Iruka is the only one allowed to touch Kakashi's Icha Icha and get away with it, and Iruka was notorious for hiding his pervert's books for a day and making the man focus solely on him. Not that it was a hard task in the first place, it just took away Kakashi's playful protests that he'd just gotten to the good part in his book. Kakashi, in turn, had Iruka just as wrapped up. He was the only one who could coax the chuunin away from work at an early time, claiming that the work would still be there in the morning and even if he didn't finish it, someone else would, so it wasn't the end of the world and he shouldn't burn the night oil unless Naruto needed those pronto. And everybody's resident scarecrow had managed to be conned into becoming Naruto's secretary, so when he said things like that, he often knew when to pull the Umino away from work and when it was best to leave him to it. Overall, both were happy and still very much in love.

Naruto… well, Naruto was loving every moment life had to offer. He had both Sasuke and his father back in his life, and things were looking up despite the few battles that popped up from time to time as they honored their alliances and protected the village hidden in the leaves. He still encouraged the villagers to adopt orphans that ended up in the orphanage. Anyone who did got an a set amount of money each month to help with expenses until the children were able to work. He and Sasuke had already adopted two children. It was Naruto's way of having the family he'd always wanted and Sasuke's way of continuing the Uchiha name. Yeah, there were rough spots and bad days mixed in with the good, but that was life. No one ever said that life would be easy, but with love, family, and friends, it was easier than it had ever been for the container of the nine tailed demon fox. He'd never wish the troubles he'd gone through on anyone, but he recognized that those hardships had only made him a stronger person and the people he'd found to stand by him through everything despite it all… were well worth going through hell to earn. Naruto learned in his life that when life knocks you down, you've gotta get back up and fight back because doing nothing will get you nowhere, and giving up…. Well, let's just say that's not an option…

As for Kineko and Hineku Uchiha, they were in love with their new parents. They were loved and cared for, disciplined when they did wrong, and taught them many things. They had everything they'd ever wanted in a family, and everything they'd ever need clothing and possession wise. Naruto was like their tough, but soft, warm, and ever so loving mother whereas Sasuke was like their strong, silent, but caring father who always gave his family all of himself while the rest of the world got as little as possible of the Uchiha. Taught by Iruka in ninja academy, they learned a lot, but whenever they didn't understand something or wished for training, they'd go to their parents and both would help with anything they asked. It was the life that they'd always feared they'd never have since their birth parents died in the Sound attack, but now that they had it with Naruto and Sasuke; they'd treasure it and their new parents until death.

It was the little things in life that everybody had learned to cherish and treasure with every breath. Joy, laughter, tears and pain, not matter what happened life always moves on and always finds away to continue and get better for having been through the day to day struggles that often appeared. As always, they had each other to lean on and it would always be that way for them…

"_**You will go out in joy and be lead forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12 NIV**_

A/N: Now, here's to all you who reviewed, alerted, and favorited. You guys all lifted my spirits so that I could continue this story even when the plot ran away from me. I thank you for your support and now… I will give you guys a shout out…..

Reviews:

**mooneasterbunny**

**Blue-Feather-Raven**

**Sakura913**

**uchihasis**

**raveresque-fantastique**

**Black-Dranzer-1119**

**brenu**

**SuperNintendo**

**Azata**

**roboguy45**

**aloukou101**

**Demonsil**

**MidnightFox**

**MangaMonger31261**

**Mizuki Hikari**

**iluvgaara**

**tyi**

**badlevel50percent**

**Unknown289**

**Crimson-Tenshi**

Alerts

**02gouldic **

**Black-Dranzer-1119 **

**Death By Squishy **

**Demonsil **

**Dragon of Blood **

**Gummy-Bears-talk2me **

**Hachibi **

**Jasmine Naussica James ANG **

**Jyra **

**KV5 Egypt **

**MangaMonger31261 **

**Midnight-flame-Princess **

**MidnightFox **

**Mizuki hikari **

**Tsukuyomi Amaterasu **

**Twilight Falls **

**Vuurvlieg **

**XxHIMxLOVERxX **

**animeaddict15 **

**azurefirewulf **

**badlevel50percent **

**chronix **

**iluvgaara **

**jazzylin-sama**

**katiedog13 **

**kayassine **

**neko-in-tears **

**sakura913 **

**sanseui-kitty **

**shay072002**

Faves

**02gouldic**

**Demonsil**

**Jyra**

**MangaMonger31261**

**Tsukuyomi Amaterasu**

**XxHIMxLOVERxX**

**afsw01**

**iluvgaara**

**lightshadow33**

**nejisoifon-lover91**

**yokai-kitty**

C2s

**Dark Fics **

**Love of a Ninja **

**SasuNaru Shounen ai and Yaoi Heaven**

**SasuNaru: Truly Meant To Be, eh? YAOI ALL AROUND **

**The Best Fics I've read **

**The Best Of Our Foxy Hero! **

**The Best of Everything According to Me**

All of you, I can't thank you enough and no matter how big or small the support or what way it was show, I appreciate it greatly. I'm only glad to have done this well for my first yaoi story. I only hope that through this experience I can write better stories that you guys will be able to enjoy more. Anyways, I love you guys a bunch and hope you'll check out future stories! Which… will be written in advance so you won't have to wait for friggin ever for a chapter…. But yeah, thanks a bunch, I hope you all enjoyed it, bye now! .


End file.
